Nuns In The U.S. Are Facing Scrutiny By The Vatican [Long Overdue!]

NYTimes ^ | July 01st, 2009

[Steelfish]

Nuns in the U.S. Are Facing Scrutiny by the Vatican

James Estrin/The New York Times Mother Mary Clare Millea has been appointed by the Vatican to study the activities of some orders of nuns in the United States.

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN July 1, 2009

The Vatican is quietly conducting two sweeping investigations of American nuns, a development that has startled and dismayed nuns who fear they are the targets of a doctrinal inquisition.

Sister Sandra M. Schneiders has urged fellow nuns not to participate in the study that is being conducted by the Vatican.

Nuns were the often-unsung workers who helped build the Roman Catholic Church in this country, planting schools and hospitals and keeping parishes humming.

But for the last three decades, their numbers have been declining — to 60,000 today from 180,000 in 1965.

While some nuns say they are grateful that the Vatican is finally paying attention to their dwindling communities, many fear that the real motivation is to reel in American nuns who have reinterpreted their calling for the modern world.

In the last four decades since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, many American nuns stopped wearing religious habits, left convents to live independently and went into new lines of work: academia and other professions, social and political advocacy and grass-roots organizations that serve the poor or promote spirituality.

A few nuns have also been active in organizations that advocate changes in the church like ordaining women and married men as priests.

Some sisters surmise that the Vatican and even some American bishops are trying to shift them back into living in convents, wearing habits or at least identifiable religious garb, ordering their schedules around daily prayers and working primarily in Roman Catholic institutions, like schools and hospitals.

[WSGilcrest]

Sister Sandra M. Schneiders has urged fellow nuns not to participate...

There's the problem right there. Sorry, sister. It doesn't work like that.

[divine_moment_of_facts]

Some sisters surmise that the Vatican and even some American bishops are trying to shift them back into living in convents, wearing habits or at least identifiable religious garb, ordering their schedules around daily prayers and working primarily in Roman Catholic institutions, like schools and hospitals.

When Nuns were Nuns!

[HiTech RedNeck]

The Pope promised to look into all this nunsense.

[Tamar1973]

“They think of us as an ecclesiastical work force,” said Sister Sandra M. Schneiders, professor emerita of New Testament and spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, in California. “Whereas we are religious, we’re living the life of total dedication to Christ, and out of that flows a profound concern for the good of all humanity. So our vision of our lives, and their vision of us as a work force, are just not on the same planet.”

The Catholic Church is not a democracy. You don't want to follow their rules, leave (and I'm saying this as a Protestant).

[divine_moment_of_facts]

The Progressive Movement even infected the Church.

[steve86]

There is no area where Vatican II did not do catastrophic damage.

[Scotswife]

sorry sisters - no catholic gets to “reinterpret” anything.

You don’t get to “opt out” of an investigation, and when on earth are they going to purge the Jesuit virus?

[Think free or die]

"Some sisters surmise that the Vatican and even some American bishops are trying to shift them back into living in convents, wearing habits or at least identifiable religious garb, ordering their schedules around daily prayers and working primarily in Roman Catholic institutions, like schools and hospitals."

Imagine that, a nun being expected to order her schedule around daily prayers. I can't imagine what the Vatican might be thinking . . .

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[Slings and Arrows]

I kind of thought that was the whole point of monasticism. Silly me.

[AliVeritas]

May the excommunication of Sister Sandra lead to repentance and the return home with a humble and contrite heart.

Poverty, Chastity and Obedience

All things work for the good...

[frankiep]

Some sisters surmise that the Vatican and even some American bishops are trying to shift them back into living in convents, wearing habits or at least identifiable religious garb, ordering their schedules around daily prayers and working primarily in Roman Catholic institutions, like schools and hospitals.

A valid concern considering that the duties of a nun are a closely held secret, and that no one decides to become a nun voluntarily and of their own free will. /s

[AliVeritas]

Article snip:

Some sisters surmise that the Vatican and even some American bishops are trying to shift them back into living in convents, wearing habits or at least identifiable religious garb, ordering their schedules around daily prayers and working primarily in Roman Catholic institutions, like schools and hospitals.

ROFL... I recall Our Lord stating what would happen to those who were ashamed of him. Also those who cried Lord, Lord. Some will be shocked by his, “I don’t know you”.
Then again... no they wouldn’t, in their hearts.

They forgot... in the world, not of the world.

God’s will be done, not theirs. I remember someone else saying they would not serve.

[Last Dakotan]

Nun Who Defaced Missile Silo Released from Prison

[narses]

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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[Tamar1973]

Sister Janice Farnham, a part-time professor of church history at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, said, “Why are the U.S. sisters being singled out, when women religious in other countries are struggling with many issues about the quality of their lives, in the Church and in their societies?”

They have to start somewhere and the USA is a good place to start.

[ConservativeMind]

You didn’t know that from all the gay pedophile settlements over the past 15 years?

[goat granny]

I agree, this idea that they can do as they please, is fine if they are not RC nuns...Don't like the rules, leave....Start your own religion...I am one that left the RC church several decades ago, but sure didn't expect them to change for me....that's nuts..Still much to like about the church...

[this_ol_patriot]

Real Sisters