America Nuns Struggle With Vatican For Change

[CrossCuT]

So my boyfriend mentioned this to me.

Maybe Im extremely daft and out of touch but he said that Catholic nuns have been upset for a couple years now because they arent granted the same privileges as priests in celebrating the mass as well as they all support homosexual marriage.

 

I havent heard of any of this  :paperbag:

Then he linked me this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50151798n

 

He made it seem like a big deal...like 80% of nuns all over the world were in uproar and wanted to be able to celebrate mass.

Seems like its only US nuns but i dunno.

 

Anyone else hear of this?

[Basilisa Marie]

It's just LCWR stuff.  Nothing new. 

[qfnol31]

LCWR represents about 80% of women's religious orders in America. We have two conferences for women religious, and the other, CMSWR, which accounts for the other 20% of the orders, has remained faithful to the Magisterium.

[Ice_nine]

LCWR represents about 80% of women's religious orders in America. We have two conferences for women religious, and the other, CMSWR, which accounts for the other 20% of the orders, has remained faithful to the Magisterium.

 

 

80 freaking percent? That's a bit of a problem ininit?

[Chiquitunga]

why must they always say "Nuns" it's Religious Sisters. Nuns profess Solemn Vows and are, for the most part, cloistered. I honestly usually have no problem when these two terms are interchanged in common speech, or if Sisters sometimes refer to themselves as Nuns, and Nuns can be referred to as Sisters in a general way, but for some reason I'm always bothered when it comes to news reports like this....

[TheresaThoma]

Ok just to clarify SOME of the communities that are part of the LCWR are having issues. There are other communities that are still faithful to the Magisterium, just keep that in mind when using broad labels. This whole thing has hurt certain communities who are part of LCWR but absolutely do not hold the views that articles like these make it out to seem. 

(Sorry this just touched a sore point due to things that happened over in VS a few months ago)

[EmilyAnn]

Ok just to clarify SOME of the communities that are part of the LCWR are having issues. There are other communities that are still faithful to the Magisterium, just keep that in mind when using broad labels. This whole thing has hurt certain communities who are part of LCWR but absolutely do not hold the views that articles like these make it out to seem. 

(Sorry this just touched a sore point due to things that happened over in VS a few months ago)

 

This.

 

The problems are NOT with every community associated with the LCWR, just some. There are communities associated with the LCWR that are just as faithful as those in the CMSWR. Our own Sister Marie's community is LCWR. There is a distinct lack of charity in some attitudes towards this, caused I suspect by somewhat hysterical media reporting. 

[CrossCuT]

Ah I see,

But it seems like the way it is being portrayed that nearly ALL of those involved in LCWR are having these problems.

[TheresaThoma]

Ah I see,

But it seems like the way it is being portrayed that nearly ALL of those involved in LCWR are having these problems.

 

Sadly that is the problem with the media (since when did they get anything Catholic right, especially when it involves finer distinctions?). There definitely are some issues but I find it sad that they are using an association to broadly paint many communities which isn't accurate. Pray for them.

[Sister Marie]

Thanks to all who have already clarified on this.  I did not check out the story because I don't want to get into a debate but if I could just put these conferences in context I would appreciate it!  I think this is the reason comunities as a whole are painted with this broad brush - the structure isn't something most people are familiar with and the way the conferences work is presented vaguely.  I don't think it is something that is done by the media on purpose.

 

The LCWR and the CMSWR are conferences of major superiors.  That means that communities don't belong to either the LCWR or the CMSWR - their general superiors do.  I am not a general superior so I don't know exactly how they decide which conference to belong to, but it would make sense that they would join the one that benefits them most.  Some general superiors belong to both. It's possible that a general superior would belong to neither.  

 

The point of these conferences isn't to be a further mode of government for sisters but a place to share resources and work on projects together.  You can take what you like and leave what you don't like.  There is no obligation to agree with everything the conference puts forth.  Information on legal issues, financial issues, and other practical non-religious issues are part of that as well as spiritual and religious life issues.  

 

I hope that clarifies a little about the purpose and nature of these conferences.   

[CrossCuT]

I think I understand slightly.

So what is the difference between these two groups? LCWR and CMSWR?

Is it just basically a social networking thing for nuns to organize charities or discuss their needs?

 

How do we know that not all 80% represented by LCWR dont agree with the ones who spoke out?

[Basilisa Marie]

Because if they agreed with the ones that spoke out, they'd speak out too.  I mean, do you agree with everything every person with a megaphone calling him or herself Catholic says?  Of course not.  :) 

 

And like others have said, it's a club for superiors.  Furthermore, it's only the leadership of the LCWR that's come under scrutiny, how they're handling speakers and mission statements and other stuff. My bishop is working with them.  It's like 1% of 1%.  

 

Media likes controversy.  

[Anselm]

Because if they agreed with the ones that spoke out, they'd speak out too.  I mean, do you agree with everything every person with a megaphone calling him or herself Catholic says?  Of course not.   :)

 

And like others have said, it's a club for superiors.  Furthermore, it's only the leadership of the LCWR that's come under scrutiny, how they're handling speakers and mission statements and other stuff. My bishop is working with them.  It's like 1% of 1%.  

 

Media likes controversy.  

 

I'm sure they don't agree with the LCWR leadership's position, but the analogy you use simply doesn't work.

 

To say that the elected head of an organisation speaking on behalf of that organisation is the same as a random Catholic with a megaphone speaking on behalf of all Catholics is just silly.

[Basilisa Marie]

I'm sure they don't agree with the LCWR leadership's position, but the analogy you use simply doesn't work.

 

To say that the elected head of an organisation speaking on behalf of that organisation is the same as a random Catholic with a megaphone speaking on behalf of all Catholics is just silly.

 

But the orders aren't members of the club, their superiors are.  It's not like a governance thing, it's more like a social club.  Of course it's a problem when the LCWR leaders are doing not-kosher stuff, but like Sister Marie said, members of the orders aren't members of the LCWR, so we shouldn't make the assumption that they'd automatically agree with everything the LCWR does. 

[Anselm]

and to whom do they make oaths of obedience?