The Vatican recently ramped up its investigation of women's religious
orders in the United States, creating a firestorm of controversy among
many religious communities.It has launched a dual effort this past year: a "doctoral assessment" of the largest U.S. women's religious organization, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, as well as conducting a sweeping evaluation of many female religious orders in the United States.
The Vatican has officially stated that the purpose of its
visitation is to monitor the "quality of life" of the women as well as
to ensure they are "living in fidelity" in accordance to their approved
constitutions and church guidelines.
Father Dennis Holtschneider, a Vincentian priest and president of DePaul University said, "One of first and foremost effects of the investigation has been that many women religious orders have found this very hurtful. They've sacrificed many things in the life- helping the poor, teaching in schools, setting up hospitals; they've let go of families, a professional career, and given their lives to charity", adding, "the sisters are not looking for thanks, but this is entirely the opposite."
Since the Second Vatican Council, an ecumenical meeting that passed contemporary reforms of church practice four decades ago, many nuns in the U.S. have stopped wearing religious habits and living in convents. Many abandoned the traditional nun's job description to run spiritual retreat centers, teach at universities, and lead Catholic social advocacy groups
Franc Cardinal Rodé, the director for the societies of apostolic life in Rome, ordered the investigation after taking part in a Massachusetts conference on religious life in 2008. He has cited that the speakers at the conference made him aware of "the challenges facing individual religious and their congregations" in the U.S., saying the study "would benefit the church at large as well as the sisters and institutes involved."
The cardinal, formerly of the same Vincentian order that DePaul University is founded upon, has criticized a "secularized culture" that has "penetrated into the minds and hearts of some consecrated persons and some communities."
Father Dennis Holtschneider, a Vincentian priest and president of DePaul University said, "One of first and foremost effects of the investigation has been that many women religious orders have found this very hurtful. They've sacrificed many things in the life- helping the poor, teaching in schools, setting up hospitals; they've let go of families, a professional career, and given their lives to charity", adding, "the sisters are not looking for thanks, but this is entirely the opposite."
Since the Second Vatican Council, an ecumenical meeting that passed contemporary reforms of church practice four decades ago, many nuns in the U.S. have stopped wearing religious habits and living in convents. Many abandoned the traditional nun's job description to run spiritual retreat centers, teach at universities, and lead Catholic social advocacy groups
Franc Cardinal Rodé, the director for the societies of apostolic life in Rome, ordered the investigation after taking part in a Massachusetts conference on religious life in 2008. He has cited that the speakers at the conference made him aware of "the challenges facing individual religious and their congregations" in the U.S., saying the study "would benefit the church at large as well as the sisters and institutes involved."
The cardinal, formerly of the same Vincentian order that DePaul University is founded upon, has criticized a "secularized culture" that has "penetrated into the minds and hearts of some consecrated persons and some communities."
The investigation has precipitated a cautious response from many
Catholic women's religious orders, as the official reasons for the
inquiry have met conflicting statements from Cardinal Rodé himself.
"It seems to have been carried on up to this point with a lack of transparency on the part of the Vatican as to what is the purpose of their investigation," the associate vice president for DePaul's University Ministry, Mark Laboe, said.
"It seems to have been carried on up to this point with a lack of transparency on the part of the Vatican as to what is the purpose of their investigation," the associate vice president for DePaul's University Ministry, Mark Laboe, said.
"Therefore, the process thus far
has created or exacerbated a climate of mistrust between and among women
religious in relation to the church hierarchy." Vatican priests are
currently in the process of performing visits to convents and religious
houses across the United States.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), to which 95 percent of U.S. women's religious orders belong, is a forum for female leaders of Catholic religious organizations to advocate for peace and justice.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), to which 95 percent of U.S. women's religious orders belong, is a forum for female leaders of Catholic religious organizations to advocate for peace and justice.
The group places a
large emphasis on Catholic social justice and has published positions on
public policy issues such as the Iraq War, immigration reform, and
Middle Eastern peace in relation to basic human rights and dignity.
The primary investigation by Vincentian Cardinal Rodé is on the LCWR, a move that indicates possible dissatisfaction with the organization's open stance on social justice issues.
The primary investigation by Vincentian Cardinal Rodé is on the LCWR, a move that indicates possible dissatisfaction with the organization's open stance on social justice issues.
In 2009, Father Levada wrote a
letter to the organization that cited concerns in three areas: the
primacy of the Catholic Church, male only ordination, and homosexuality.
The Director of Communications for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Sister Annmarie Sanders said that the investigation is currently ongoing.
The Director of Communications for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Sister Annmarie Sanders said that the investigation is currently ongoing.
While Sanders said she could not comment specifically
on the details of the inquiry, she said there was "a great spirit of
solidarity" among many religious communities of women in the United
States and that they have "worked tirelessly to help people to discern
their mission in life."
Many of those in the affected religious communities have declined to speak about the ongoing investigation.
Many of those in the affected religious communities have declined to speak about the ongoing investigation.
"Unfortunately, the process does not seem to acknowledge or affirm the
many valuable contributions of women religious over decades and decades
here in the U.S.," Laboe said.
He said the investigation's approach is
narrow and logistic and that the nature of the Vatican's investigations
are "rather stifling and harmful to the Church."
Opinions among DePaul students are varied, although many expressed support for the sisters.
Mollie Clark, a Catholic student at DePaul said she related Rode's Vincentian background to that of DePaul's. "I feel like being Vincentian is about being tolerant and open minded, and that the current approach is not quite as accepting as it should be," Clark said.
Many people in Rome are concerned that "women religious who say they live their life in common actually are living in apartments by themselves; concerned that they are almost invisible in society and people don't see them," Rev. Holtschneider said.
He also addressed a possible financial motive in Rome's Investigation. "Many of these older groups are getting very small now, and they own great property: entire hospital systems, major buildings, schools and universities, that they themselves have built; there is the underlying concern that they will sell them, and over where the money will go. Nobody talks of that directly," Rev. Holtschneider said.
"Someday they're going to rewrite feminist history in the U.S. to include the monumental role of nuns: teaching many in this country to read, setting up major hospital systems, and founding educational institutions in every city of the country," said Holtchneider, "their work is extraordinary both for the Catholic church and everyone in the U.S."
Opinions among DePaul students are varied, although many expressed support for the sisters.
Mollie Clark, a Catholic student at DePaul said she related Rode's Vincentian background to that of DePaul's. "I feel like being Vincentian is about being tolerant and open minded, and that the current approach is not quite as accepting as it should be," Clark said.
Many people in Rome are concerned that "women religious who say they live their life in common actually are living in apartments by themselves; concerned that they are almost invisible in society and people don't see them," Rev. Holtschneider said.
He also addressed a possible financial motive in Rome's Investigation. "Many of these older groups are getting very small now, and they own great property: entire hospital systems, major buildings, schools and universities, that they themselves have built; there is the underlying concern that they will sell them, and over where the money will go. Nobody talks of that directly," Rev. Holtschneider said.
"Someday they're going to rewrite feminist history in the U.S. to include the monumental role of nuns: teaching many in this country to read, setting up major hospital systems, and founding educational institutions in every city of the country," said Holtchneider, "their work is extraordinary both for the Catholic church and everyone in the U.S."
SIC: DPO/USA