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Power struggle between American nuns and Vatican looms

St Louis gathering will formulate nuns' action plan says leader

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Sunday, July 29, 2012, 8:24 AM

Updated Sunday, July 29, 2012, 8:24 AM

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Sister Pat Farrell, the president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

Photo by Google Images

American nuns will meet in St Louis next week to consider their response to a Vatican report which questioned their doctrinal loyalty.

The New York Times reports that the assembly of nuns will decide how to act in wake of the scathing critique issued in the Spring.

President of the Leadership Conference Sister Pat Farrell told the paper that the Vatican seems to regard questioning as defiance, while the sisters see it as a form of faithfulness.

She said: “We have a differing perspective on obedience. Our understanding is that we need to continue to respond to the signs of the times, and the new questions and issues that arise in the complexities of modern life are not something we see as a threat.”

The paper also quotes the former head of the church’s doctrinal office, Cardinal William J. Levada.

He met with the nuns’ leaders in June, just before he retired, and said afterwards that they should regard his office’s harsh assessment as "an invitation to obedience."

At the time, Cardinal Levada said: “I admire religious men and women. But if they aren’t people who believe and express the faith of the church, the doctrines of the church, then I think they’re misrepresenting who they are and who they ought to be.

The gathering of the nuns will decide whether or not to cooperate with the three bishops appointed by the Vatican to supervise the overhaul of their organization.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious represents about 80 percent of women’s Catholic religious orders in the United States.

The report says that the Leadership Conference is: “Considering at least six options that range from submitting graciously to the takeover to forming a new organization independent of Vatican control, as well other possible courses of action that lie between those poles."

Church scholars told the paper that the power struggle between the nuns and the Vatican has been "building for decades."

The report states that at issue are: “Questions of obedience and autonomy, what it means to be a faithful Catholic and different understandings of the Second Vatican Council.”

In response, the nuns have claimed their loyalty to Vatican II.

Sister Janice Farnham, a retired professor of church history at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, said: “We were the ones who probably took Vatican II and ran the fastest and the farthest with it.

“Sometimes our church leaders forget, we were tasked to do these things by the church. The church said jump, and we said, how high?

“The church said update, renew, go back to your sources, and we did it as best we could. We did it with a passion, and we paid dearly.”

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eiriamach | Aug 04, 2012, 05:09 PM EDT

SingleDonald thinks I'm trying to "enforce Political Correctness in everyday language" LOL. The language evolved a long time ago, SingleD. For a generation, grammar texts and teachers have taught inclusive English as CLEAR English vs exclusive and ambiguous English-- as when someone speaks of "girls" and really means women. I'm reminded of the businessman who told me about "his girls" working in his office. I asked how many of his daughters he employed in his office and how much he paid them. He got the point and thereafter became somewhat less patronizing. I've never seen women who behave the way SingleDonald describes "radical feminists" behaving, so I guess the point is lost on me, with no loss TO me. Worse still is phlutiephantasy's "Malachi Martin. . . . spoke of the emphasis on "social justice" as taking the place of the Gospel." Apparently, Malachi Martin never read the Gospel. If he had read it, he'd know that "Social justice" IS one of its central themes. Jesus did not preach gender roles, male hierarchy, monarchy, empire, letting the poor take care of themselves, or obsequiousness to Roman authority. The nuns live the Gospel.

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The Commentator | Jul 31, 2012, 11:38 AM EDT

Sorry spelling moment - should be principles not principals

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irishpjk | Jul 30, 2012, 11:51 PM EDT

wtf When these nuns took their vows it was supposed to be for life. They knew the rules then and agreed to them, now they want to change the rules to suit their liberal thinking. If you don’t like the rules as they are you ask for change, change denied you have two choices accept or get out.

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SingleDonald | Jul 30, 2012, 12:22 PM EDT

eiriamach, I question the relevance of your last post. If you read carefully, I was DEFENDING the sisters, through my analogy of resisting a ridiculous work place rule! Now that you brought it up, I'll explain what I dislike about radical feminists: 1) Objecting to us guys tactfully looking at women (women do look at men); 2) Calling the polite asking for a date to be "hitting on you"; Believing that acts of chivalry, such as opening a door for a woman, are "patronizing"; Getting uptight when we use the term "girl" when referring to a contemporary woman. FYI, "girl" denotes youth & femininity, traits which most women consider to be complimentary. It does not denote immaturity, unless prefaced by "little". We men are OK with "the guys", or even "the boys". I use "girl" along with ""woman" "gal", or "female". I do not use the offensive 5-letter "B" word, and certainly not the 4-letter "C" word. THOSE words merit your gender's scorn (and possibly our faces being slapped!), not "girl". Your insecurity is showing when you wish to enforce "political correctness" in everyday language. "PC" is Left Wing McCarthyism! Concerning me remaining unmarried, that would preferable to me marrying someone who was PC to an extreme!

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eiriamach | Jul 30, 2012, 06:53 AM EDT

Of course, you have the freedom-of-speech right to give a verbal bashing to women you "oppose," SingleDonald, but remember that others have the right to call your misogyny offensive. It explains why you're likely to remain "single" right into your lonely old age. I don't give a rat's patootie what you guys say about women when you and mairint are hanging out in a men's locker room together, but you ought to have more sense in public. I can assure you that there is no category of "feminist" that will disappear from this world simply because you express your distaste!

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SingleDonald | Jul 29, 2012, 09:48 PM EDT

Although I am an opponent of radical, man hating feminists, I do see the light in most of the posts below. Here is a somewhat off-topic analogy, regarding "obedience". Let's imagine that a company is taken over by new owners. They are old fashioned, and expect everybody in a supervisory capaciy, even the younger employees, to be addressed as "Mr./Mrs./Miss, rather than by first names. Imagine the supervisors, and their staff resisting this ridiculous "rule". Should this be regarded as "insubordination"? I say, hardly so! Insubordination, as I understand it, involves willful refusal to perform a legitimate job duty. Insisting on first name usage, which is the norm for most baby boomers on down, is merely the rejection of a cult of personality quirk, sought by the new owners. If this really happened, and enough people declined compliance, the new owners would likely consider their strict measure to be the mere "floating of a balloon", and back off. "Obedience" and "subordination" should have legitimate, realistic purposes, for "underlings" to accept what they are told to do.

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TheOldPerfessor | Jul 29, 2012, 04:53 PM EDT

Every time we see these nuns speak out, it makes us proud to be members of the human race, and gives us the false impression that there may be hope.

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odubslaine | Jul 29, 2012, 03:11 PM EDT

Amen, Mark...

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markday | Jul 29, 2012, 12:41 PM EDT

Femnism is not a bad word. It is simply the recognition of women as equal to men. Most Catholics fail to think outside the box of "patriarchal control." As Diarmuid O'Murcha points out in his new book, Ancestral Grace: Meeting God in Our Human Story, patriarchy controls every aspect of our lives including politics and religion. Whatever happens to the Leadership Conference of Woman Religious, they are on the right track, and the right side of history. We should support them and be wary of the pariarchs.

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patrickesq | Jul 29, 2012, 12:28 PM EDT

I believe The Commentator has concisely noted the huge disconnect between the male hierarchy and the People, aka, sheep, of the Church. Today there is no need to blindly follow the dictates of our lofty prelates, when they seem so out of line with conscience and common sense. The current emphasis by The celibate Leaders that artificial birth control is sinful is a good example of the hierarchy's blind adherence to a man-made doctrine that is so at odds with heath concerns and the right to decide if, and when, one wants to conceive a child. Hence a great majority of former and present Catholics, due not accept, or abide by, this sterile teaching. The American=European Church will never grow or attract sufficient number of new priests until the Church is transformed and renewed by a spirit of openness that accepts the equality of women and a priesthood that is open to all.

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PhlutiePhan | Jul 29, 2012, 11:37 AM EDT

The nun from BC speaks the truth. The liberal nuns used Vatican II to justify their breaking from the Vatican. If you read Malachi Martin, you will know the entire story. He predicted it. Martin spoke of the emphasis on "social justice" as taking the place of the Gospel. The conference will be held here in St. Louis. It is interesting to note of recent events in the leadership of the archdiocese of St. Louis. Archbishop Raymond Burke was run out of town by a cabal which included, according to emails from the chancery, liberal nuns and Cardinal Justin Rigali. He actually had left his nun sister, Charlotte Rigali, behind to keep an eye on Burke. It would actually appear logical to hold the conference in St. Louis.

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The Commentator | Jul 29, 2012, 10:32 AM EDT

I believe the Vatican is an "old boys" club who are still maintaining male dominance and do not see women as equals. They have been protecting their own sexual deviates that prey on children. As the wide spread molestation became public they would not accept responsibility for their cover up. Although the Pope has issued apologies for the conduct of the offending priests it has blamed the local dioceses and the financial burden of the lawsuits is on the dioceses and the Vatican with their vast wealth has not accepted financial responsibility. Many dioceses have had to sell off their limited assets to pay victims. The higher ups in the church were responsible for transfers of offending priests to other dioceses. I believe that many of the people in the Vatican were offenders and covered up the abuse. HOW CAN THE VATICAN CONTINUE TO EXERT CONTROL OVER THE PRIESTS AND NUNS AND NOT BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR SINS? Why aren't nuns and priests permitted to marry and live normal lives as part of the Catholic community. The "rules" of the church are written and interpreted by those in power and not based on any truths. Just because men ruled the roost for many years and women were second class citizens it is not the case in society today. The Vatican should get on board with what is really happening. Are the Taliban and the Vatican similar in their views of the status of women? It just seems that the Vatican has a holier than thou attitude, a do as I say policy, a lip service to principals, is living in the past and does not accept responsibility for the overall well being of the Catholics all over the world. The aged Vatican does not truly reflect the Catholic population. Perhaps the millions of Catholic families who attend church, not the Vatican, should be determining the policies of the Catholic Church. Just saying

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mollymguire | Jul 29, 2012, 10:27 AM EDT

And so the church is reverting back to its disdain for the flock, a demand for unquestioning obedience in spite of all that the church has allowed little children to be tortured & rewarded those who did it. I suppose this is the new "Spanish Inquisition" of the Catholic Church. No one can remove my faith,no one can excommunicate me. Jesus did not set any requirements in order to observe communiion, the Catholic Church did that. Even if they believe they can, they can never remove me from my communion with God.

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mairint | Jul 29, 2012, 09:38 AM EDT

Those old fashioned feminist 'nuns' should just retire out of the way, live their lives whatever way they want without calling themselves 'Catholic nuns'. The hundreds of young women now in traditional religious orders are happily living their lives as teachers, contemplatives, serving the poor, nursing the dying and unwanted,including those dying of AIDS. As with the 'burn the bra' brigade and the pro-abort feminists, the feminist nuns who echo the infamous words "I will not serve" are on their last legs.

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