Women Religious avoid confrontation

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) wrapped up its annual meeting in Nashville, affirming its commitment to continued dialogue with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and Archbishop Peter Sartain, the Vatican-appointed overseer of the organisation. In 2010, the CDF issued a doctrinal assessment that faulted the LCWR for hosting doctrinally questionable speakers, insufficiently focusing on life issues, and other matters.

“Our study, discernment and prayer led us to reaffirm our strong belief that ongoing conversation with church leadership is key to building effective working relationships that enable both women Religious and church leaders to serve the world,” the LCWR board said. “It is our deepest hope to resolve the situation between the LCWR and CDF in a way that fully honours our commitment to fulfil the LCWR mission. We will continue in the conversation with Archbishop Sartain as an expression of hope that new ways may be created within the Church for healthy discussion of differences.”

The LCWR leaders hoped that dialogue could become a model for those “thousands of persons  [who] long for places where they can raise questions and explore ideas on faith in an atmosphere of freedom and respect”.

While the dialogue with the Vatican dominated the meeting, the LCWR also elected St Joseph Sr Marcia Allen as the group’s president-elect. Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Sharon Holland shifted from president-elect of the group to president at this meeting.

The sisters bestowed their lifetime achievement award on Sr Elizabeth Johnson, a theologian at Fordham University whose work was criticised by the US bishops’ doctrinal committee.

In her talk, Sr Johnson said: “The Church did not start out this way, but as an institution it has evolved a patriarchal structure where authority is executed in a top-down fashion and obedience and loyalty to the system are the greatest of virtues … the LCWR and the sisters they lead are far from perfect, but they have got the smell of the sheep on them.”

Sr Johnson defended her theo­logical work and objected to CDF Prefect Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s characterisation of the LCWR’s decision to give her a lifetime achievement award as provocative. “It was clear from his statement that Cardinal Müller  read neither the book nor my response,” Sr Johnson said. 

n The Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph has been ordered to pay a fine of US$1.1 million (£660,689) for failing to abide by a 2008 agreement regarding clergy sex-abuse claims. A judge in Missouri confirmed the decision to levy the fine by an arbitrator overseeing the diocese’s settlement with victims. Judge Bryan Round said the arbitrator’s findings were a “scathing indictment of [the diocese]”. Kansas City’s Bishop Robert Finn is the only US bishop to be convicted for failing to report child sex abuse in civil court.