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| LCWR National Board |
You will recall that recently the Holy See
mandated a reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) following
a doctrinal investigation, which was conducted under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
(CDF). (You can read what Jimmy Akin had to say about this at the time.)
Of course, as was to be
expected, the LCWR has not taken kindly to the Holy See’s mandate. They have accordingly
made quite a fuss about it. I think that they may believe that they should be
reforming the CDF, rather than the CDF reforming them.
I don’t know about you, but I really am so
sick and tired of groups like this, who use every possible opportunity to take
a contradictory position to the Church. Here in South Africa we have the ‘We
Are All Church South Africa’ group who has a similar dissident agenda. (They’re
affiliated to that dissident international movement, We Are Church, who has
called Catholics to holy disobedience.)
Today the LCWR, true to
form, instead of agreeing to work with the CDF to bring about reform, released
this statement on their website. [My comments are in red]
LCWR Board Meets to Review CDF Report
[Washington, DC] The
national board of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) held a
special meeting in Washington, DC from May 29-31 to review, and plan a response
to, the report issued to LCWR by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith.
The board members raised concerns about both
the content of the doctrinal assessment and the process by which it was
prepared. Board members concluded that the assessment was based on
unsubstantiated accusations and the result of a flawed process that lacked
transparency. [Unsubstantiated…really? One just has to read what people like Sr. Joan Chittister write in the National Catholic
Reporter to know that they are indeed substantiated accusations.] Moreover,
the sanctions imposed were disproportionate to the concerns raised and could
compromise their ability to fulfill their mission. The report has furthermore
caused scandal and pain throughout the church community, and created greater
polarization. [I
think that when the LCWR, and similar dissident movements, promote views that
are directly opposed to Church teaching, while also being openly
confrontational and calling for holy disobedience, there can be no doubt that
it is them, not the Holy See causing scandal and pain.]
The board determined that the conference will
take the following steps:
•
On June 12 the LCWR president and executive
director will return to Rome to meet with CDF prefect Cardinal William Levada
and the apostolic delegate Archbishop Peter Sartain to raise and discuss the
board’s concerns.
•
Following the discussions in Rome, the
conference will gather its members both in regional meetings and in its August
assembly to determine its response to the CDF report. [Maybe after this visit they will
eventually realise that the Holy See is indeed serious. Hopefully, they will
then begin reforming.]
The board recognizes this matter has deeply
touched Catholics and non-Catholics throughout the world as evidenced by the
thousands of messages of support as well as the dozens of prayer vigils held in
numerous parts of the country. It
believes that the matters of faith and justice that capture the hearts of
Catholic sisters are clearly shared by many people around the world. [Yes, but is it shared by the Pope, the successor of Peter, on whom
our Lord chose to build his Church, and by the Bishops, the successors of
the Apostles? That's the true test!] As the church and society face tumultuous
times, the board believes it is imperative that these matters be addressed by
the entire church community in an atmosphere of openness, honesty, and
integrity.
Contact: Sister Annmarie Sanders, IHM – LCWR
Director of Communications - 301-588-4955 (office) - 301-672-3043 (cell) - asanders@lcwr.org
June 1, 2012
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