Here is my latest catholic dialogue column for the Prairie Messenger, Benedictine Sisters: women of vision, daughters of faith. This column, a tribute to some very dear friends, was a joy and privilege to write.
Also, check out a wonderful essay on Good Pope John from the PM’s archives, written by Rev. Andrew Britz, OSB. I so need to hear more about the good women and men who embodied the optimistic spirit of Vatican II. And this good pope surely did.
Who are your Vatican II heroes?
Filed under popes, religious sisters, Vatican II, women in the church
The latest catholic dialogue column in the Prairie Messenger is titled Difficult conversations have a greater need for dialogue. It builds on a previous blog reflection on Sr. Pat Farrell’s strategy for dialogue as described in her presidential address to the LCWR Assembly in August.
I’m proud of the Prairie Messenger for its coverage of the ongoing story surrounding the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. One might wonder why a news journal from the Canadian prairies is so interested in what happens to an American organization of religious women. The Catholic Church extends far beyond our local parish walls, and the PM tries to give a fair and balanced coverage of local, national, and international church stories. The more we learn about each other, the more we can rejoice in shared gifts and support each other in our struggles.
The present situation between the bishops and the women of the LCWR is a microcosm of the bigger issues facing our church today. What are the roles of women and men in our church, whether vowed religious, ordained or lay? How do we address the tension that exists between an authoritarian, hierarchical style of leadership and deep seated beliefs in participatory leadership, equality and freedom of conscience? How do we begin to build the bridges across the ideological chasms that continue to divide liberals and conservatives, progressives and traditionalists?
I believe we have much to learn as we watch the drama unfold to the south of us. Dialogue is key. We can only pray that true, respectful dialogue will be possible.
Check out the August 29, 2012 issue of the Prairie Messenger for more LCWR commentaries and reports.
Filed under catholic dialogue, religious sisters, women in the church
Old-fashioned nuns say the past is key to the future | National Catholic Reporter.
Kudos to the National Catholic Reporter for publishing this article by David Gibson of the Religion News Service. Gibson gives a peek into one of the more traditional religious orders and the young women who are entering them. Sadly, you can’t avoid noticing the judgmental attitude among some of the women interviewed; an ‘us-them’ attitude.
Ideological differences among Catholics are usually divided into the old left-right, progressive-conservative dichotomy. The differences are apparent whenever a discussion takes place on modern day religious life. Interestingly, it seems to focus more on women’s religious orders rather than their male counter-parts.
Young women who embrace the habit and cloistered life are the standard bearers for Catholic conservatives. The women of more active, apostolic orders such as those of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) are the inspirational heroes of the progressives. The former focus on faithfulness to prayer, doctrine and traditions of the past. The latter focuses on gospel action through works of social justice.
Catholicism has always offered many paths towards holiness. The diversity of spiritualities and charisms found in our religious orders is one of our greatest gifts. It reflects our human reality. One person might find deep peace in a life structured around hours of prayer in a chapel. Another might find the same peace in the midst of the inner city. If a woman or man is called to religious life, there is a smorgasbord of life-styles to choose from.
Different is good. Why can’t we see difference side by side….different but equal. Why do we always have to place one above the other? Why do we always have to rationalize our own choice by demeaning and criticizing the choice of another?
Filed under religious sisters
The women of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) have shown a remarkable dignity since the release of the Vatican assessment in April. While media, commentaries and discussion boards screamed with anger and displeasure at the bishops, the LCWR leadership waited until their annual Assembly to dialogue with its membership before giving an official response. The National Catholic Reporter has many in-depth reports, news stories, and commentaries from the Assembly, which took place last week.
I’ve been following the LCWR story closely for two reasons. First of all, out of love and respect for the many religious women I know. Secondly, I believe the issue of dialogue is vital to healing the present division; not only between the LCWR and the Vatican, but within the church as a whole. The need for dialogue out of a place of respect and mutual trust is obvious. Many believe that it is impossible, since the two parties are coming from such seemingly opposing views and philosophies.
Sr. Pat Farrell, now past-president of the LCWR, is optimistic. Her Presidential Address to the Assembly, Navigating the Shifts, provides a practical and hopeful model for entering into an effective conversation with the bishops. It is both insightful and inspiring, and I encourage you to read it in its entirety. In answer to the question “How can we navigate these shifts?” she responds with six tools. She believes these tools “have served us through centuries of religious life are, I believe, still a compass to guide us now.”
THROUGH CONTEMPLATION… In situations of impasse, it is only prayerful spaciousness that allows what wants to emerge to manifest itself. We are at such an impasse now. Our collective wisdom needs to be gathered. It germinates in silence, as we saw during the six weeks following the issuing of the mandate from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. We wait for God to carve out a deeper knowing in us.
WITH A PROPHETIC VOICE… There is no guarantee, however, that simply by virtue of our vocation we can be prophetic. Prophecy is both God’s gift as well as the product of rigorous asceticism. Our rootedness in God needs to be deep enough and our read on reality clear enough for us to be a voice of conscience.
THROUGH SOLIDARITY WITH THE MARGINALIZED… Vulnerable human beings put us more in touch with the truth of our limited and messy human condition, marked as it is by fragility, incompleteness, and inevitable struggle. The experience of God from that place is one of absolutely gratuitous mercy and empowering love.
THROUGH COMMUNITY… We have effectively moved from a hierarchically structured lifestyle in our congregations to a more horizontal model. It is quite amazing, considering the rigidity from which we evolved. The participative structures and collaborative leadership models we have developed have been empowering, lifegiving. These models may very well be the gift we now bring to the Church and the world.
NON-VIOLENTLY… The breaking down and breaking through of massive paradigm shift is a violent sort of process. It invites the inner strength of a non-violent response. Jesus is our model in this.
BY LIVING IN JOYFUL HOPE… Joyful hope is the hallmark of genuine discipleship. We look forward to a future full of hope, in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Hope makes us attentive to signs of the inbreaking of the Reign of God.
Two paradigms will gather around the table. One rooted in a hierarchical, authoritarian, and patriarchal style of leadership. The other grounded in a horizontal, collaborative, participatory and communitarian form of life. Both, we would hope, are grounded in prayer. May the Holy Spirit open their minds, ears and hearts to truly listen to the other with love, respect, and mutual trust.
Related story
LCWR’s annual meeting: Some reflections and a little back story by Jamie L. Manson is a first-hand look and reflection from the LCWR Assembly.
Filed under religious sisters, women in the church
For all who have been following the tale of the doctrinal assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), today was a big day. LCWR president Franciscan Sr. Pat Farrell and executive director St. Joseph Sr. Janet Mock met in Rome with Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), and Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, the Vatican delegate appointed to oversee the assessment in the US.
The official press releases following the meeting were anti-climactic. The Vatican Press gave an official announcement that reiterated the authority of the Holy See over the sister’s conference, and the role of the CDF in ensuring that the LCWR is in union with the Magisterium. The press release from the LCWR was simple. The sisters were returning to the US to discuss the results of the meeting on regional levels and at their annual assembly in August. No interviews were going to be given.
I was musing on this all day, wondering if there was anything worth writing about. Perhaps all had been said to this point. But something still didn’t seem right. Did any actual dialogue take place? I wrote a blog post for NCR Today, but hesitated sending it in. I kept checking the National Catholic Reporter web-site for more news, and there was nothing. So, I sent off my wee piece. Almost simultaneously, John Allen Jr. posted an interview with Cardinal Levada, the Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Faith. Now here is a story!
The Cardinal describes a `dialogue of the deaf“ with the women of the LCWR. The deafness, he believes, comes from not wholeheartedly embracing the doctrinal assessment of the CDF and accepting the proposals for reform that are being presented to them.
In the short term, Levada said he would take as evidence that things are moving in the right direction if LCWR enters into “a sincere, cordial and open dialogue” with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle, tapped by the Vatican to oversee the reform envisioned in the doctrinal assessment.
To date, Levada said, that hasn’t happened.
Cardinal Levada also spoke openly about the possibility of the LCWR cutting their official ties with the Vatican.
So, the LCWR has chosen silence in order to pray, ponder, and dialogue among their membership before any statements or actions are taken. Theirs is a dignified approach. Cardinal Levada, meanwhile, has already put his opinions and musings into the limelight for all to see as if it was a fait accompli. And he has taken a very undignified dig at the sisters with his ‘dialogue of the deaf’ comment.
The story is far from over. My prayers and hopes are with the sisters that they will continue to face this challenge with grace, dignity, and faith in their communal wisdom. As to the deafness in the dialogue…may all ears and hearts be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Filed under religious sisters, Vatican, women in the church
I love to visit grand churches, and have visited many in my travels. I am quite easily impressed. I am no longer easily inspired. Most cathedrals and basilicas are awesome in their grandeur and magnificence. Not all move my heart and soul.
St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is a classic example. The jewel of the city’s landscape, it stood as a beacon of hope to the British people during the dark days of WWII bombings. When I first saw it, I had the lovely image of Mary Poppins and the woman feeding the birds on its steps. Inside the Cathedral, though, I was overpowered by the presence of monument after monument, memorial after memorial to military leaders and politicians. Rather than soaring with the glory of God, the mind was cluttered with extravagant attempts at glorifying men.
St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome still impresses me with its grandeur. No photo or film can do justice to its size. While I feel a connection to its history, it doesn’t inspire me.
St. John Lateran has a similar effect. Walking down the center aisle, the massive statuary depicting the twelve apostles doesn’t encourage affection for these men. Rather, the height and weight towering over you is oppressive.
This past weekend, I visited a Basilica that did impress and inspire me; the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal. We attended the 11:00 Mass, not knowing that a special celebration was taking place to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of Montréal. A military band marched up the street to the Basilica. The sanctuary was filled with bishops and priests. A long list of present dignitaries was read.
The Mass itself was well orchestrated with all the requisite protocol for such an auspicious occasion. While bishops and priests sat, the choir and organ soared. The glorious sounds filled the blue and gold interior. It was a spectacle to hearken and to behold. But the inspiration came after.
Walking around the now empty church, I was struck by the stained glass windows, paintings and statues. Rather than depicting biblical scenes, they told the history of Montreal. Numerous depictions of religious women showed to the world the central role they played in the founding of our country.
They included,
I tried to take as many pictures as I could, until I was stopped abruptly by a man who told me I was allowed to “go up and enjoy the pictures” but not to photograph them.
Ah, but I now have some photos. I can remember them, and share the inspiration of countless women who built this great country by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, educating the young, and healing the sick. God bless them and all the women who follow in their foot-steps to this day.
Filed under women in the church, religious sisters, church art
Catholic news sites and discussion boards have been hopping these past 24 hours. Two major stories were head-lined yesterday at the National Catholic Reporter.
The first, by John Allen, was titled Lefebvrite schism may be nearing an end. According to the story, the Vatican confirmed Wednesday that the Society of St. Pius X, the traditionalist movement founded by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, has responded to a “doctrinal preamble” presented in September as a precondition for reunion with the Catholic Church. With only minor concessions remaining, formal readmission of the Society of St. Pius X into full communion with Rome is probable.
The second news came at noon. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has ordered the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the largest leadership organization for U.S. women religious, to reform its statutes, programs and affiliations to conform more closely to “the teachings and discipline of the Church.”. The news was announced in a press release Wednesday morning from the U.S. bishops’ conference. It was accompanied by an eight-page document of the doctrinal congregation and a one-page statement from Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the congregation.
This morning, another NCR article, LCWR ‘stunned’ by Vatican’s latest move, describes not only the shock of the women at LCWR, but also their disappointment at not being allowed to share the news with their members before it became public.
Commentaries and discussion boards are heating up with opinions on these two stories. As usual, the voices are easily categorized by ideology.
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This blog is almost a year old. It`s purpose is to promote dialogue and not debate in an increasingly polarized church and society. Except for a lively discussion in the early weeks around liturgical music, the comments have come mostly from kindred spirits. I have not heard from too many voices who think differently than I. Until yesterday.
The discussion board settings require me to approve the first comment made by a new reader before it is published. If approved, subsequent comments will be automatically published to the site. Comments can be deleted by the blog owner at any time.
For some unknown reason, the January 15 post titled nuns`veils, simply a habit? continues to get several clicks a week. Yesterday, the following comment on this post showed up in my mail-box, awaiting approval,
The baseball team the Yankees is not to identify with the crowd and wear “civies”; I find it ironically superficial for nuns to take off a habit and veil and break the symbolic union with nuns who have passed on—this symbolic clothing points towards mystery and, therefore, is an immediate reminder of God. Instead, you wear what points towards the secular.
It is incredibly stupid to dedicate a life towards God and not mirror it in your clothing. Padre Pio in the hours before his death refused to take off his habit in order to breathe better. To me, nuns without habits or veils are like the pride of the Yankees dismissed by removing your baseball uniform and telling Babe Ruth to go take a walk. Modern spirituality continues to reveal a symbolic walk away from mystery, tradition, and union with all those who went before. Yuk!
Ah, a voice that doesn`t agree with me! A voice that I don`t agree with! I clicked the approve comment button. It would be hypocritical of me not to. I believe that our church and world is big enough to allow a diversity of views. The key to dialogue and not debate is to discuss those views in a reasonable and respectful manner. While I don`t agree with the reasoning of this gentleman, he has the right to express his opinion.
Please click on the post to join in the dialogue.
Filed under catholic culture, catholic dialogue, religious sisters
For me, the sign of a good book is if it keeps you pondering long after you finished the last page. Karen Armstrong`s book, Through the Narrow Gate – A Memoir of Life in and Out of the Convent has done this for me. In response to my previous post our friend, Ray, summed up the old school thought of religious life,
Over time religious life had drifted into a kind of personal devotion to personal salvation. The male religious in this project entered religious life at a time when the essence of religious perfection meant a separation from the world.
I believe there is still a place in this world for women and men who devote their lives to the discipline of prayer. Thomas Merton comes to mind. Though a brilliant intellectual, he chose the hermit life of a Trappist monk. He promoted the value of contemplation as not only a means of union with God, but of spiritual union with the world. His prolific writings came from this grounded spiritual life.
But after Vatican II, many religious orders opened the doors of convents and monasteries and began to share their gifts with the world. I have many friends who are religious sisters or brothers. These women and men are passionate about living the Gospel, not just meditating on it. Their action is grounded in prayer. Their prayer leads them to action. What a loss it would be if they were all locked up in their religious houses, seeking only their own salvation!
As Catholics, we do not believe that things of the spirit equal good, and things of the world equal evil. We got rid of this dualistic philosophy a long time ago. But it still lingers. It yanks my chain when I hear any Catholic spout that holiness can only be found within the four walls of a church or religious community. What nonsense!
Think of it this way. Most women and men who are drawn to committed parish life or religious life are pretty serious about their faith. These are, for the most part, good people. And, the world needs good people. Isn`t it stupid to gather good people together and keep them separated from the world? We need prisons for the bad folks, for the safety of society. But, we shouldn`t be imprisoning our good folks, using all their energies and talents for the church or community. We need good women and men bringing their goodness into family life, schools, the work place, our streets and shelters.
As Christians, we need to be with like-minded souls. We need the gift of community to be formed, to pray, and to find support on our life`s journey. But our faith community or church should never be an end in itself. A wise friend once said that `community is the vehicle, it`s not the destination`. This is so true. Whether we are in a parish, a small faith community, or a religious community, we need to embrace our faith and then go out into the world and put that faith into action. God knows the world is in need of some serious goodness!
Filed under faith, parish life, religious brothers, religious sisters, social justice
One of the most clicked on posts on this blog is nun`s veils, simply a habit? Thanks to the magic of Google, folks come to the blog while searching articles on traditional nuns. The image of cloistered nuns in full regalia is part of our Catholic psyche – at least for baby boomers and older. And the fascination continues.
I just finished reading Karen Armstrong`s Through the Narrow Gate – A Memoir of Life in and Out of the Convent. Armstrong is a respected religious historian and prolific author of best-sellers such as A History of God (1993), The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2000) and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (2004). She is also the moving force behind the Charter for Compassion. (More on that in an upcoming post!)
Armstrong entered a strict, religious order at the age of seventeen. Through the Narrow Gate describes her convent experiences and the struggles of re-entering the world. She entered as Vatican II was beginning, and left in the heady days of the late 1960`s. Her class was one of the last to be formed according to a firm rule of obedience and self-emptying humility.
Armstrong`s writing is very personal and intimate. She draws you into her mind and heart as she tried to live a life of complete self-denial and perfect obedience– even when obedience seemed absurd. Her spiritual life is opened up and laid bare on the pages for us to see. She clung to her vision and aspirations of being a perfect nun, while slowly realizing that this version of religious life was neither life-giving nor reflective of basic Christian charity. A turning point came when a fellow student from Oxford made an unannounced visit to the convent to see Sr. Martha (Karen). The Superiors were furious and made a big fuss behind the closed doors. The young woman later told Karen that she was considering becoming a Christian, and thought the convent was a good place to find someone to talk to. She had never been greeted more uncharitably!
Armstrong writes lovingly of some compassionate Sisters, women able to find the balance between giving it all to God and having some left over for others. But this is no romanticized `Nun`s Story`. She is brutally honest about the cruelty of some of her Superiors. And, sadly, there`s a lecherous priest in the story as well.
Despite her experience, she still believes that the ideal of the religious life is a beautiful one. And she does not regret her seven years of convent life.
I`m a better nun now than I ever was in the Cloister. You can be so fearful of loving other people more than God that you can be downright uncharitable. Surely it`s better to love others, however messy and imperfect the involvement, than to allow one`s capacity for love to harden.
Through the Narrow Gate is one woman`s carefully pondered and reflective experience of religious life prior to Vatican II. Her religious order followed others into the spirit of renewal promoted by the Council. Today, there is a movement in our Church to go back to the `good old days` of cloistered, fully habited, and perfectly obedient and docile women. After reading this book, all I can say is God help us!
Filed under religious sisters
