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The Vatican congregation that deals with religious life was not consulted over the decision to require the major group of women religious in the United States to reform its statues and programmes, the congregation’s head has revealed. Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Religious, said the lack of discussion over the action Read more
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Pope Francis has reaffirmed the need to reform the major group of women religious in the United States, accepting the Vatican’s 2012 assessment that found it had “serious doctrinal problems”. The Pope’s view was conveyed to representatives of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, led by president Sister Florence Deacon, by the prefect of the Read more
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The Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the United States has begun talks with the archbishop appointed to supervise its reform, but says it will not make fundamental changes to its expression of consecrated religious life. The LCWR national assembly had instructed its board to approach the discussion with Archbishop Peter Sartain “from a stance Read more
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Avoiding a direct confrontation with the Vatican, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the United States has opted for dialogue with the archbishop appointed to supervise a reform of the group. The decision to enter into a “conversation” with Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle was announced at the end of the LCWR’s annual assembly Read more
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Though she is at the center of one of the biggest crises in the Catholic Church today, Sister Pat Farrell is loath to talk about herself, and certainly not in any way that would make her a focus of the looming showdown between the Vatican and American nuns. To be sure, Farrell has spoken publicly Read more
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As leaders of most of the women’s religious congregations in the United States prepared for their response to the Vatican’s call for reform, their outgoing president said they would tap their collective wisdom “thoughtfully and deliberately”. Franciscan Sister Pat Farrell was addressing the 900-strong assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in St Louis, Read more
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The recently completed “Nuns on the Bus” tour garnered a great deal of publicity for the sisters involved, who claimed they were making the trip to protest proposed federal budget cuts they say would hurt the poor. However, there were many more undercurrents to the nine-state, two-week trip than most people realize. The giant banner Read more
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As the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the United States heads towards its annual assembly in August, its president says she is looking for a “third way” in dialogue with the Vatican. Last April the Vatican announced a major reform of the 1500-strong association, under which it will be supervised by three bishops. The Read more
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The attack on the Nuns is a case of perception not reality according to Vatican Cardinal William Levada, who admits to being saddened by people’s assessment of him, his office and the report on the nuns. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), insists neither he, nor the Vatican is picking on the nuns. “We’re sad if people Read more
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Bishop Leonard Blair is one of the three bishops (the other two being Bishop Thomas Paprocki and Archbishop J. Peter Sartain), that made up the committee formed by the Holy See to undertake the doctrinal assessment of the LCWR. Bishop Blair says that since the assessment has been completed he “can only marvel at what is Read more
