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It is a bad day for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR… subsidiary of The Magisterium of Nuns).
If the SSPX gets chilled Veuve, this one might get … dunno… a big chocolate cake?
Popcorn?
I save some milkfat from my clarified butter and it is fantastic on popcorn. That seems appropriate.
From the USCCB:
Vatican Names Archbishop Sartain To Lead Renewal Of LCWR
April 18, 2012
Critiques doctrinal aspects of LCWR assemblies, publications
Faults work with Network social justice lobby, financial, legal Resource Center
Calls for advisory group of bishops, sisters and other experts to assist in renewalWASHINGTON—The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has called for reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and named Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle as its Archbishop Delegate for the initiative.Bishop Leonard Blair and Bishop Thomas John Paprocki also were also named to assist in this effort.
The CDF outlined the call in a “Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious” (HERE), released April 18. The document outlines findings of the 2008 CDF-initiated doctrinal assessment of LCWR, conducted by Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo, Ohio, which included his findings and an LCWR response submitted at the end of 2009, as well as a subsequent report from Bishop Blair in 2010.
A statement by Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is also available at HERE.
The 2010 report included “documentation on the content of LCWR’s Mentoring Leadership Manual and also on the organizations associated with the LCWR, namely Network andthe Resource Center for Religious Institutes,” CDF said. Network is a social justice lobby founded by nuns. [Watch ’em shout “We’re NOT nuns! We’re SISTERS!”] The Resource Center provides religious orders with legal and financial advice.
The Archbishop Delegate’s role is to provide “review, guidance and approval, where necessary, of the work of the LCWR,” the CDF document said.
The mandate for the Delegate “will be for a period of up to five years, as deemed necessary,” the document said. It calls for additional advisers – bishops, women religious and other experts – “to work with the leadership of the LCWR to achieve the goals necessary to address the problems outlined in this statement.” It also asked for a formal link between the Delegate and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). [Ohhhh… they’re gonna love that!]
“It will be the task of the Archbishop Delegate to work collaboratively with the officers of the LCWR to achieve the goals outlined in this document, [It’s looooong, too. I have a link to it below. The document lays it out chapter and verse.] and to report on the progress of this to the Holy See …. In this way, the Holy See hopes to offer an important contribution to the future of religious life in the Church in the United States,” the CDF document said.
[NOTA BENE… NOTA BENEDICT!] CDF said Pope Benedict XVI approved CDF’s taking action January 14, 2011, [A YEAR AGO?] two days after a regular session of the CDF decided that “the current doctrinal and pastoral situation of LCWR [NB] is grave and a matter of serious concern, also given the influence the LCWR exercises on religious Congregations in other parts of the world.” [The Magisterium of Nuns.] CDF also recommend that after the Apostolic Visitation of Religious Communities of Women in the United States, the final report of which was submitted to the Holy See in December 2011, “The Holy See should intervene, with the prudent steps necessary to effect reform of the LCWR.” It also said CDF would “examine the various forms of canonical intervention for the resolution of the problematic aspects present in the LCWR.”
The mandate for the Delegate includes: [Make some popcorn…]
·Revision of LCWR statutes
·Review of LCWR plans and programs, including its General Assemblies
·Creation of programs for LCWR member congregations in initial and on-going formation
·Review LCWR’s application of liturgical norms and texts
·Review of LCWR affiliation with Network and the Resources Center for Religious Life.
[This is really focused on the leadership of the LCWR. Sure, the Holy See wants to work with it, but they should just disband it. I have the same view of the Legionaries of Christ.]
The doctrinal assessment criticized positions espoused at LCWR annual assemblies and in its literature as well as the absence of support from LCWR for Church teaching on women’s ordination and homosexuality. [An “absense of support”? Love it.]
CDF said that the documentation “reveals that, while there has been a great deal of work on the part of LCWR promoting issues of social justice in harmony with the Church’s social doctrine, it is silent on the right to life from conception to natural death, a question that is part of the lively public debate about abortion and euthanasia in the United States. Further, issues of crucial importance in the life of the Church and society, such as the Church’s Biblical view of family life and human sexuality, are not part of the LCWR agenda in a way that promotes Church teaching. [Here’s the “Magisterium of Nuns” moment….] Moreover, occasional public statements by the LCWR that disagree with or challenge positions taken by the Bishops, who are the Church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals, are not compatible with its purpose.”
The CDF document said “the Holy See acknowledges with gratitude the great contributions of women Religious to the Church in the United States as seen particularly in the many schools, hospitals, and institutions of support for the poor which have been founded and staffed by Religious over the years.” It said CDF “does not intend to offer judgment on the faith and life of Women Religious in the member congregations which belong to the conference.” [Again, this isn’t about all sisters of every group in the LCWR. This is about its leadership.]
Nevertheless, CDF said, “The Assessment reveals serious doctrinal problems which affect many in Consecrated life,” calling it a crisis “characterized by a diminution of the fundamental Christological center and focus of religious consecration.” [If you are really focused on Gaia, you lose sight of Christ.]
The document listed the principal findings of the LCWR doctrinal assessment.
On LCWR annual assemblies, it said, “The talks, while not scholarly theological discourses per se, do have significant doctrinal and moral content with implications which often contradict or ignore magisterial teaching.” [Did I mention :Magisterium of Nuns”?]
On formation of religious superiors and formators, [Again, it’s the leadership.] the CDF said, “Many of the materials prepared by the LCWR for these purposes (Occasional Papers, Systems Thinking Handbook) [“Systems Thinking Handbook”? No, that is NOT a typo. Really.] do not have a sufficient doctrinal foundation. These materials recommend strategies for dialogue, for example when sisters disagree about basic matters of Catholic faith or moral practice, but it is not clear whether this dialogue is directed towards reception of Church teaching.”
Archbishop Sartain acknowledged the significance of the CDF assignment.
“In the four dioceses I have served, I have had the privilege of working with many women religious from a large number of congregations.For most of those congregations, the LCWR plays an important role of support, communication, and collaboration, a role valued by the sisters and their congregational leadership. I am honored that the CDF has entrusted this important and sensitive work to me, because the ministry of religious sisters, especially here in the United States, is deeply respected and paramount to the mission of the Church.Just as the LCWR can be a vital resource in many ways for its members, I hope to be of service to them and to the Holy See as we face areas of concern to all.”
Exactly 3 years ago today we read this, by the way.
The doctrinal assesment of the LCWR is HERE in pdf. It is looooong and detailed!
UPDATE:
What do you want to bet NCFishwrap will name the LCWR’s head as their next “Person of the Year”?
When it comes to Pres. Obama’s attack on the 1st Amendment and his HHS mandate, His Excellency Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky is not kidding around.
EAW on Continue the Rome shot posts? I dunno.: “Yes, please continue the Rome shot posts! They have become one of the things I always look forward to. TC…”
