VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online):
The much anticipated meeting between two representative leaders
of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), LCWR
president Sister Pat Farrell, OSF and executive director Sister
Janet Mock, CSJ, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith (CDF) occurred on Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
The purpose of the meeting
was to allow the leaders of this American group an opportunity
to discuss the Vatican's call for their reform and express their
concerns. The call from Rome for the much needed reform was set
forth with clarity in a Doctrinal Assessment issued by the
Congregation after a multi-year visitation and review. An eight
page summary was released by the CDF and can be read here. The
leadership of the organization did not agree with the outcome -
and has been quite vocal about it.
The decision by the Congregation to review the
group was communicated to them back in 2008. Very serious
doctrinal concerns were raised. Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo
led a thorough, fair and in depth review. The results were
presented in a Final Report of the Apostolic Visitation of women
Religious in the United States submitted to the Holy See. It was
fully accepted by Pope Benedict XVI.
One line included in the statement expresses the
heart of the specific findings, "the current doctrinal and
pastoral situation of LCWR is grave and a matter of serious
concern." Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain was chosen by the
Congregation to oversee the implementation of the much needed
reform of this organization of women religious. He was present
in Rome at the meeting on Tuesday Jun 12, 2012, along with the
Prefect of the Congregation, Cardinal William Levada.
Unfortunately, some even in the Catholic Media,
such as the National Catholic Reporter, have presented this very
serious matter as some sort of battle between a "dated" Rome and
some purportedly "liberated" sisters. That newspaper fostered
dissent, fomented a party spirit and pushed its own dissenting
agenda with irresponsibility.
The National Catholic Reporter's biased and
inaccurate reporting concerning this entire matter has
contributed to the secular media's feeding frenzy and thereby
contributed to placing the leaders of the Catholic Church in a
bad light. That is not responsible Catholic journalism.
The truth concerning the entire matter was well expressed by the
good Bishop Blair of Toledo in an article he wrote for his
Diocesan newspaper entitled "Reality Check, the LCWR, CDF and
the Doctrinal Assessment. It should be read by anyone seeking to
know what really happened and what is at stake here.
Among the issues the CDF
raised after the visitation and review are serious moral issues
as the inherent dignity of every human life, including children
in the womb, the proper teaching concerning human sexuality and
the primacy of true marriage and the family founded upon it.
Major concerns were raised over the groups approach to "the
fundamental Christological center and focus of religious
consecration." This is all very, very serious business!
Without this much needed
correction and reform, the issues raised by the Congregation
will continue to confuse the faithful, harm the members of the
LCWR and impede the much needed witness to the truth offered by
the Catholic Church in this age of moral relativism. The Holy
See has acted pastorally, out of Christian love, and in keeping
with its proper role to guard the deposit of faith.
The official Vatican statement on the meeting was
short and blunt: "Today the Superiors of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith met with the President and Executive
Director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)
in the United States of America. Most Rev. Peter J. Sartain,
Archbishop of Seattle and the Holy See's Delegate for the
doctrinal Assessment of the LCWR, also participated in the
meeting."
"The meeting
provided the opportunity for the Congregation and the LCWR
officers to discuss the issues and concerns raised by the
doctrinal Assessment in an atmosphere of openness and
cordiality.
"According
to Canon Law, a Conference of Major Superiors such as the LCWR
is constituted by and remains under the supreme direction of the
Holy See in order to promote common efforts among the individual
member Institutes and cooperation with the Holy See and the
local Conference of Bishops (Cf. Code of Canon Law, cann.
708-709)."
"The purpose
of the doctrinal Assessment is to assist the LCWR in this
important mission by promoting a vision of ecclesial communion
founded on faith in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church
as faithfully taught through the ages under the guidance of the
Magisterium."
The two
representatives of the LCWR issued this statement: "On June 12,
LCWR president Sister Pat Farrell, OSF and executive director
Sister Janet Mock, CSJ, met with Cardinal William Levada,
prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF),
and Archbishop Peter Sartain.
"The meeting had been requested by the LCWR to
address what the conference considered deficiencies in the
process and the results of the doctrinal assessment of the
organization released by the CDF in April.
"It was an open meeting and we were able to
directly express our concerns to Cardinal Levada and Archbishop
Sartain," said Sister Pat Farrell.
"Sister Pat and Sister Janet will now return to
the United States to discuss the meeting later this week with
the LCWR board. As previously stated, the conference will gather
its members in regional meetings and in its August assembly to
determine its course of action in response to the CDF
assessment."
We ask our
readers around the globe to pray that this organization rise to
the moment with humility and allow the needed reform to bear the
good fruit intended - for the sake of their members, the Church
and the world into which she is sent. The meeting on Tuesday was
described as "open and cordial". Hopefully it will lead to
authentic reform.
The
proper course of action for the Leadership Conference of Women
Religious is fidelity to the magisterium of the Catholic Church.
They said "yes' to the Lord when they professed their vows. He
continues His redemptive mission through the Church of which
they are members and to which they owe their loving response of
service.
