UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
by Dawn Cherie Araujo May. 14, 2015
Related stories and resources:
• Statement of the LCWR officers on the CDF doctrinal assessment and conclusion of the mandate
• Q & A with Sr. Sharon Holland, president of LCWR
• LCWR statements about doctrinal assessment, 2009-2015
• Timeline of LCWR / CDF interactions 2008-present by NCR
In a statement released this morning, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious acknowledged the sadness and public humiliation they experienced during the six years they were under Vatican review, but they said they hoped the process would be a valuable learning experience for both the wider church and community.
This is the first time LCWR has spoken publicly since last month’s conclusion of the Vatican oversight of their group. They had maintained public silence on the matter for 30 days, per the Vatican’s request.
“We believed that the sanctions called for in the CDF mandate were disproportionate to the concerns raised and we feared the sanctions could compromise the ability of the LCWR officers and members to fulfill the mission of the conference,” LCWR leaders wrote in their statement, adding that were times of darkness when “a positive outcome seemed remote.” But they did ultimately get that positive ending, encouraged, in part, by the prayers of their supporters around the world.
LCWR, an association for the elected leaders of women religious communities in the United States, has more than 1,500 members and represents almost 80 percent of Catholic sisters in the country.
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