Most US women religious are failing to comply with a Vatican request to answer questions in a document from Apostolic Visitator, Mother Angela Millea. Leaders of congregations, instead, are leaving questions unanswered or sending in letters or copies of their communities' constitutions, NCR Online reports.
"There's been almost universal resistance," said one women religious familiar with the responses compiled by the congregation leaders. "We are saying 'enough!' In my 40 years in religious life I have never seen such unanimity."
The deadline for the questionnaires to be filled out and returned to the Vatican-appointed apostolic visitator, Mother Mary Clare Millea, was Nov. 20.
On that day, according to an informed source, congregation leaders across the nation sent Millea letters and, in many cases, only partial answers to the questionnaire.
Many women, instead of filling out the forms, replied by sending in copies of their Vatican-approved orders' religious constitutions.
The decisions by congregation leaders not to comply follow nearly two months of intensive discussions both inside and across religious congregations, NCR Online says.
They follow consultations with civil and canon lawyers, and come in the wake of what some women religious see as widespread support by laity for their church missions.
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