The American priest named this week as secretary of the Congregation for Religious acknowledged that his appointment is a reflection of “just how badly” American leaders of women’s religious orders have reacted to an apostolic visitation ordered by the Vatican. Archbishop-elect Joseph Tobin, whose new responsibilities will include supervising that apostolic visitation, said that his own impression of women's religious life in the US was “extremely positive.”
But in an interview with John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter: "There's a great deal of misunderstanding among American religious about the decisions of the Holy See, and in particular the visitation of women religious."
"Maybe I can offer a different picture of American women religious than the one that sometimes has been presented in Rome," the Redemptorist priest said.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which has been highly critical of the Vatican investigation, has welcomed the appointment.
"Fr. Joe Tobin is held in high regard by U.S. men and women religious," the group announced.
SIC: CC