{"id":2948,"date":"2013-04-15T13:02:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T13:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/pope-backs-reform-of-us-sisters-leadership-conference\/"},"modified":"2013-04-15T13:02:00","modified_gmt":"2013-04-15T13:02:00","slug":"pope-backs-reform-of-us-sisters-leadership-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/04\/pope-backs-reform-of-us-sisters-leadership-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope backs reform of US sisters’ leadership conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Vatican City, Apr 15, 2013 \/ 07:02 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Vatican\u2019s assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which found it had \u201cserious doctrinal problems\u201d and needed to be reformed.<\/p>\n

\tArchbishop Gerhard L. M\u00fcller, the prefect for the Vatican\u2019s doctrine congregation, met in Rome with conference president Sister Florence Deacon on April 15, along with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle, who was named to carry out the reform of the group.<\/p>\n

\tThe secretary of the Vatican\u2019s doctrine congregation, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, was also present at the meeting, in addition to Sister Carol Zinn, president-elect of the women\u2019s leadership conference, and Sister Janet Mock, the group\u2019s executive director.<\/p>\n

\tArchbishop M\u00fcller told Sr. Deacon that he \u201crecently discussed the Doctrinal Assessment with Pope Francis, who reaffirmed the findings of the Assessment and the program of reform for this Conference of Major Superiors,\u201d an April 15 statement from the congregation said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt is the sincere desire of the Holy See that this meeting may help to promote the integral witness of women Religious,\u201d the communiqu\u00e9 stated, and this requires \u201ca firm foundation of faith and Christian love, so as to preserve and strengthen it for the enrichment of the Church and society for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tSince it was his first time meeting with the leadership of the group, Archbishop M\u00fcller thanked the sisters for their \u201cgreat contribution\u201d to the Church in the United States, \u201cas seen particularly in the many schools, hospitals, and institutions of support for the poor\u201d that have been founded and staffed by religious.<\/p>\n

\tHe also \u201cemphasized that a Conference of Major Superiors, such as the LCWR, exists in order to promote common efforts among its member institutes as well as cooperation with the local Conference of Bishops and with individual Bishops.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cFor this reason, such Conferences are constituted by and remain under the direction of the Holy See,\u201d he stated, citing canons 708-709.<\/p>\n

\tOn April 18, 2012, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith revealed the findings a four-year doctrinal assessment of the conference, which found \u201cserious doctrinal problems\u201d and the 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 noted 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

\tThe leadership conference responded June 1 to the assessment, describing it as being \u201cbased on unsubstantiated accusations\u201d and using \u201ca flawed process that lacked transparency.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAt the same time that it announced its findings, the Vatican placed Archbishop Sartain in charge of carrying out a reform of the group.<\/p>\n

\tHe has a five-year mandate to help the conference revise its statues and review its connections to affiliated organizations. In addition, he will help create a new formation program to offer a deeper understanding of Church teaching and will be responsible for approving future speakers and presentations at the organization\u2019s assemblies.<\/p>\n

\tComposed of some 1,500 members, the LCWR consists of about three percent of the 57,000 women religious in the U.S. Because its members are leaders of their religious communities, the group says that it represents 80 percent of American sisters. The average age of its members is 74.<\/p>\n

\tIn a statement responding to the April 15 meeting, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious said the talks were \u201copen and frank.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe pray that these conversations may bear fruit for the good of the Church,\u201d the group stated.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vatican City, Apr 15, 2013 \/ 07:02 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Vatican’s assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which found it had “serious doctrinal problems” and needed to be reformed.
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