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NPR Offers Air to Catholic Sister to Diss Pope, Bishops: 'Women Get It First Then Explain to Guys'
Newsbusters ^ | April 22, 2012 | Tim Graham

Posted on 04/23/2012 2:16:04 PM PDT by NYer

On Thursday’s All Things Considered, National Public Radio offered leftist Sister Simone Campbell a megaphone to  disagree with (and lecture) the Pope and the Catholic bishops for being clueless. “It was like a sock in the stomach,” she said about the Vatican’s attempt to hold women’s Catholic religious orders to Catholic orthodoxy. Just on human terms, this is odd – not just to suggest the bishops are bullying, but that a process that’s been going on for four years is suddenly shocking.

Campbell told anchor Melissa Block that the religious sisters had the superiority of “experience” of faith all over the Vatican and the bishops, and then was starkly sexist: “Women get it first and then try to explain it to the guys who -- I mean, as the women did to the Apostles.”

Campbell was introduced as heading Network, a “ Catholic social-justice lobby.” They can never call a liberal a liberal? Campbell quickly took up the clueless-male attack: “Quite frankly, it's very visceral. It's like a sock in the stomach. I wish I knew what was in their brains. I don't know. But it looks like from the outside that they are not used to strong women who took the urging of Pope Pius XII very seriously. Pope Pius XII urged women religious -- way before I was in the community -- to be educated in theology, to get educated in advanced degrees. So we took him seriously, and we did it. The leadership doesn't know how to deal with strong women. And so their way is try to shape us into whatever they think it should be, not realizing that we've been faithful to the call this whole time.”

Block offered the Vatican viewpoint in a fairly detached way:

MELISSA BLOCK: Sister Campbell, the Vatican seems to be saying in this document that these strong women that you're talking about are at odds with the church on some very basic issues. It says that the women's group is silent on the right to life, from conception to natural death. It also mentions LCWR's positions on ministering to homosexuals, and the ordination of women -- big issues for the church.

SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL: They are. They're big issues, but they aren't at the heart of faith. That's the problem. And what we do as women religious is, we minister to people everywhere who are suffering, who are being discriminated against, and we don't ask to see a baptismal certificate. We serve everyone we find, in keeping with the Gospel of Jesus. That's what we're doing.

The bishops have a different mandate and a different message. And they are trying to protect the institution and to worry mostly -- apparently -- about an orthodoxy that I can't quite understand. But our different missions still -- serves one faith.

Block should know the key part of that answer is the odd suggesting that issues like abortion and homosexuality aren’t at the “heart of faith.” (I’d suggest Campbell being disingenuous about women’s ordination not being at the “heart of faith.” They wouldn’t tiptoe around in favor it if they didn’t believe that was central.) Campbell’s implied disinterest in the church as an “institution” of “orthodoxy” suggests that she’d rather operate her own version of the Catholic church on her own terms and doesn’t want some clueless men in Rome telling her what to do.

Then came the crucial question of a “gap” between the church and the sisters, and the arrogance comes creeping in:

BLOCK: Do you think there is a fundamental gap between the Vatican and the nuns' group on those issues?

CAMPBELL: Oh, I don't know that there's a doctrinal difference. There's certainly an experience difference. We as Catholics believe our experience informs our faith and our faith informs our experience. It's - how can I say this? When you don't work every day with people who live on the margins of our society, it's much easier to make easy statements about who's right and who's wrong.

How does Campbell know that the bishops and church officials investigating them have no real experience with people on society’s margins? If I were the anchor, I would find that an obvious target for a followup question. But Block is more interested in underlining how the sisters will chafe at having Rome insist that they stay in line with what the church teaches:

MELISSA BLOCK: Sister Campbell, how do you respond to what the Vatican has done here - which is to appoint an archbishop who will basically be overseeing the women's group; will be deciding whether their conferences are OK, whether the speakers they've called in are OK - how will that be received?

SIMONE CAMPBELL: My hunch is that it won't be received with a lot of joy, that's for sure. And it certainly doesn't appear necessary. But the other thing that we know as women is, the women were the first ones at the tomb on Sunday morning. Women get it first and then try to explain it to the guys who -- I mean, as the women did to the Apostles. So, we will try to explain it to the guys. We'll keep up our roles from the Scriptures.

It's a challenge. It makes us mad. It makes us upset; may make us wonder about where in God's green earth all this is going and why, in God's green earth, might this be necessary. But we're faithful.

This is not only a sexist answer, but then so say “But we’re faithful” after showing so much contempt for the church deserves a laugh track.

Perhaps NPR should look at its own arrogant dismissal of Juan Williams for unorthodoxy and wonder if it really should be shocked that an institution would try to make everyone toe a doctrinal line.


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: dissent; lwcr; media; npr
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1 posted on 04/23/2012 2:16:13 PM PDT by NYer
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To: netmilsmom; thefrankbaum; Tax-chick; GregB; saradippity; Berlin_Freeper; Litany; SumProVita; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 04/23/2012 2:17:02 PM PDT by NYer (Open to scriptural suggestions.)
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To: NYer
A picture

Is worth 1000 words ...

3 posted on 04/23/2012 2:20:51 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

I hope they cut her loose.


4 posted on 04/23/2012 2:22:11 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: NYer

NPR: the town liar.


5 posted on 04/23/2012 2:30:20 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand
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To: ArrogantBustard
I disagree. She looks like a personable individual but her attire does not project the image of a religious sister. Perhaps you caught Fr. Benedict Groeschel last night. He provided statistics to support his statement that those religious communities that chose to abandon the habit and embrace liberal socialism, are failing.

What does that picture actually say about this woman? Words speak louder than images, yet how many Americans fell prey to an image of the smiling Barak Obama and bought into his "hope and change" campaign.

6 posted on 04/23/2012 2:32:58 PM PDT by NYer (Open to scriptural suggestions.)
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To: NYer

A public excommunication for her and all her proselytes, followed by a disbanding of their order.

No church support.

Go ask NPR for money to fund it, or just join Planned Parenthood and be done with it.

From the picture, she (it) looks like she (it) would be right at home in a Planned Parenthood abortion mill.


7 posted on 04/23/2012 2:32:58 PM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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To: NYer

Sister??? lady, you have no business calling yourself a “sister.’ Maybe you should turn in your habit (if you wear one) and go join the church of England. My two aunts who were real “sisters”would have told you to pack your bags and get out if you can’t acceept the ways of the church.


8 posted on 04/23/2012 2:36:32 PM PDT by navyblue (<u>)
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To: NYer
What does that picture actually say about this woman?

It says that, although she claims to be a sister in Catholic religious order, she does not present herself in a matter traditionally associated with such communities.

In XXI Century America, that fact speaks volumes. Show me even one example of a vowed religious community which rejected the tradition of uniform and distinctive garb, but which remains faithful to the Church.

9 posted on 04/23/2012 2:43:44 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: NYer

I am familiar with her gang (order) known as Sisters of Social Service. They are all like her. They always talk about their community. They never talk about thier church. I should not say anything more. I don’t want to blow my cover. You don’t get to pick your relatives.


10 posted on 04/23/2012 2:48:53 PM PDT by forgotten man (forgotten man)
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To: ArrogantBustard

Also she has bad taste in shirts and speaks in bumperstickers instead of catechism.


11 posted on 04/23/2012 3:10:07 PM PDT by netmilsmom (I am Breitbart)
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To: forgotten man

Wow! That’s a surprise. It’s the SSS, huh. One of my friends from high school is a retired nun from that community. Can’t say that I ever recall her talking like this, but she did say that she thought women should be allowed in the priesthood. Other than that, she seems to be a good Caholic.


12 posted on 04/23/2012 3:10:26 PM PDT by navyblue (<u>)
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To: NYer

Campbell is not the story here. The story is why the Catholic Church is treating her and her group the way it is - namely, by allowing them to still exist as a RCC order.

There’s easily enough to disband them, let alone defrock them. They’re clearly squared off against the Church. Even now, Campbell is outrageously defying the order she got just days ago not to go public with her issues, by cawing them out on NPR.

So, Campbell is Campbell. You’re telling me the Pope doesn’t have the resources to shut her down? Of course not. Which means the Pope is enabling her by NOT shutting her down.

Why?


13 posted on 04/23/2012 3:13:40 PM PDT by Talisker (He who commands, must obey.)
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To: Talisker

Her order owns their real estate. The deeds are in their name. They could get kicked out of the church but not off of their properties. In 25 years they will probably all be dead. They are not getting new recruits. The median age is probably over 70 years old. Simone is one of the younger members.


14 posted on 04/23/2012 3:26:54 PM PDT by forgotten man (forgotten man)
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To: NYer

Leave it to NPR! Our tax dollars pay for nonsense like this.


15 posted on 04/23/2012 3:41:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Talisker

Talisker, I don’t think you followed the visits of the Vatican emmissaries to the seminaries, did you? If you did, you might know that that a lot of nonsense (my polite word) was cleaned up. Now the seminaries are bulging with men who want to be priests, for they know it is a safe and holy environment.

The same thing is happening now with all the leftist sisters who were pro-choice, etc.

Watch — in ten years the convents will also be bulging with new novices and will be building new dorms and classrooms due to the increasing numbers of righteous women who wish to nurse sixk people or teach the Word of God to children.

God bless.


16 posted on 04/23/2012 3:47:51 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Talisker
NPR Offers Air to Catholic Sister to Diss Pope, Bishops: 'Women Get It First Then Explain to Guys'

Important Background Information About the CDF-LCWR Situation
Nuns Gone Wild: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Exhibit A for Explaining the LCWR Report
Vatican Crackdown on U.S. Nuns a Long Time Brewing
LCWR: getting to the truth of the matter (the blogosphere response to CDF document)
Radical feminist nuns’ group ‘stunned’ by Vatican criticisms, reform plan
Vatican announces reform of US women's religious conference (more details)
Citing doctrinal problems, Vatican announces reforms of US nuns' group
In hard-hitting document Vatican launches clean-up of feminist nuns in United States
LCWR Having a Bad Day. Vatican Names Archbishop Delegate to Continue Watching LCWR and Network

17 posted on 04/23/2012 3:53:18 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: NYer
"...Women get it first and then try to explain it to the guys...

Sort of like Eve in the Garden, huh?

18 posted on 04/23/2012 4:20:47 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: navyblue
she thought women should be allowed in the priesthood.

That thought keeps her from being a good Catholic.

19 posted on 04/23/2012 8:39:37 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: Talisker
let alone defrock(sic) them.

Members of religious orders are consecrated members of the laity. They're never "frocked"(sic) to begin with.

By the way, defrock is a secular term not found in Canon Law.

20 posted on 04/23/2012 8:43:29 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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