VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider
The Prefect for the consecrated life Congregation explains the LCWR case to nuns from across the world and reveals how Pope Francis made his first Curia appointment
ALESSANDRO SPECIALE
VATICAN CITY
The Vatican’s relationship with America’s nuns cannot be reduced to confrontation and as far as the Holy See’s concerned, it’s time to open a so far non-existent path to dialogue with the women religious in the U.S. Brazilian cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Joao Braz de Aviz admitted this during the plenary meeting of religious superiors from across the world, on Sunday.
“Starting a dialogue that didn’t exist before is possible,” the cardinals said in an interview with the International Union of Superiors General (UISG).
Last April, with the then Pope Benedict XVI’s approval, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published a critical report on the behaviour and activities of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the body which represents 80% of U.S. women religious. The LCWR was criticised for giving a voice to “radical feminism” during its conferences and for focusing its efforts on fighting poverty but not abortion. The Archbishop of Seattle, Mgr. Peter J. Sartain, was nominated a “delegate” and given the task of reorganising the Conference. A week or so ago Pope Francis issued a communiqué “reaffirming” the Holy See’s position with regards to the LCWR.
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