CNA<\/a>).- An expert on women religious in the U.S. said that a bus tour announced by religious sisters who belonging to a \u201cprogressive\u201d social justice organization demonstrates the Vatican\u2019s concerns about certain groups of women religious in the country.<\/p>\n\tAnn Carey, author of the 1997 book \u201cSisters in Crisis: The Tragic Unraveling of Women\u2019s Religious Communities,\u201d said that the move is likely a \u201cpublic relations ploy\u201d aimed at \u201chighlighting the fact that they disagree with the bishops\u201d about religious freedom concerns in health care.<\/p>\n
\tNetwork, a Catholic social justice lobby that describes itself as \u201ca progressive voice within the Catholic community,\u201d has announced a bus tour across several politically significant states to protest suggested budget cuts to programs for the poor.<\/p>\n
\tThe dates of the tour \u2013 June 18 to July 2 \u2013 will overlap with the Fortnight for Freedom that the bishops have announced as a time of prayer, education and advocacy in the face of the Obama administration\u2019s contraception mandate.<\/p>\n
\tCarey told CNA June 8 that the sisters, who are \u201cvery politically savvy,\u201d are trying to show that they are doing good works in order to \u201cdeflect the actual problems that the Vatican has pointed out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe organization does perform good work, as do many members of the laity, she acknowledged. But there is a deeper problem with the group\u2019s understanding of the nature of religious life and its adherence to Church teaching.<\/p>\n
\tCarey does believes it is appropriate for the sisters to voice concerns over budget cuts, about which some bishops have also voiced hesitations, but they need to go further in their advocacy.<\/p>\n
\tThe bishops, she said, are concerned that the sisters are taking one \u201cvery small part\u201d of Catholic teaching and promoting it as the entirety of Catholic social justice.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThey\u2019ve carved out a very, very small part of the Gospel message to proclaim,\u201d Carey remarked.<\/p>\n
\t\u00a0\u201cThe Gospel is not just about helping poor people,\u201d but also includes admonitions to avoid sin and a focus on our redemption through the sacrifice of Christ, she explained.<\/p>\n
\tWhile it is true that different orders have different areas of emphasis, it is incorrect to claim to represent Catholic social teaching while largely ignoring some of the most foundational and important elements of this teaching, such as a respect for life and sexuality, she said.<\/p>\n
\tNetwork was recently mentioned in the Vatican\u2019s criticism of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a group of women religious leaders in the U.S. that has been called on to realign itself with Church teaching.<\/p>\n
\tAlthough not formally affiliated, the close connection between the LCWR and Network was highlighted in a 2006 speech by Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ.<\/p>\n
\tUpon receiving the LCWR Outstanding Leadership Award, Pinkerton explained that the callings of the two groups \u201care so very intertwined as to be inseparable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI have never doubted that for me Network was a natural progression from LCWR,\u201d she said. \u201cIn truth, we two entities are inextricably linked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tShe added that the LCWR has always been part of Network\u2019s board, \u201chelping to set its direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tCarey said that the Network bus tour is \u201cillustrative\u201d of what has been happening with the women\u2019s leadership conference for several decades.<\/p>\n
\tOn April 18, the Vatican\u2019s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith revealed the findings a four-year doctrinal assessment of the conference, which discovered \u201cserious doctrinal problems\u201d and a need for reform.<\/p>\n
\tIt cited letters from LCWR officers as well as presentations sponsored by the conference which exhibited \u201cradical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith\u201d and dissent from Church teaching on topics including the sacramental male priesthood and homosexuality.<\/p>\n
\tThe assessment also found that while the group adamantly promotes social justice issues, it largely ignores matters of life, marriage and sexuality, which have played a large role in recent public debates.<\/p>\n
\tArchbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle has been mandated to work with LCWR leadership to guide renewal efforts.<\/p>\n
\tThe archbishop will help the conference revise its statues and review its formation materials, speakers, presentations and affiliation with other organizations, as well as the application of liturgical norms and texts in its gatherings.<\/p>\n
\tLCWR leaders said that they were \u201cstunned\u201d by the assessment and accused the Vatican of making \u201cunsubstantiated accusations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThey also argued that \u201cthe sanctions imposed were disproportionate to the concerns raised\u201d and could compromise the sisters\u2019 \u201cability to fulfill their mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHowever, Carey noted that the LCWR\u2019s mission was redefined when the group re-wrote its statutes four decades ago. She asserted the group has no reason to be stunned because it has been disagreeing with the Vatican over doctrine and religious life for 40 years.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThey\u2019ve been alluding to it for years in their own materials,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re just trying to play the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
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