The Bishops and the Nuns

I think that by now most everyone is familiar with the reprimand directed by the Vatican against the order of nuns the Leadership Conference of Women Religious for allegedly challenging church teachings on “homosexuality and the male-only priesthood," and promoting “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.” Those not familiar with the matter can read the news article as it appeared in the New York Times here.

One of my subscribers, Pat Burns of Edgewater, NJ, a lifelong Catholic, spoke out in a Letter to the Editor of the New York Times, which was printed in the April 20 edition of the paper as follows:

A Lifelong Catholic Pays Tribute to the Nuns

To the Editor:

Re “Vatican Reprimands a Group of U.S. Nuns and Plans Changes” (news article, April 19):

I am a lifelong Catholic, 80-plus years, and will die a Catholic. But I will not be silent in my support of the tireless work and dedication of the wonderful nuns who serve the poor and the helpless, the sick and infirm, the children and elderly, who even go to jail for the cause of protesting the evil of war and nuclear threats to humanity and the world.

I will speak out loudly in protest at the Vatican document’s citing of nuns for, as your article says, focusing “too much on poverty and economic injustice, while keeping ‘silent’ on abortion and same-sex marriage.”

How can there ever be too much focus on poverty and economic injustice? And how can the Vatican justly rebuke women busy selflessly carrying out Christ’s work caring for the least of our brethren for being silent on abortion and homosexuality, while for decades bishops were silent about grave sins against the innocent in their care?

Herewith is my tribute to the thousands of nuns who deserve our respect and admiration. I am having shirts made up for my Catholic and non-Catholic friends and family to wear that state, "I’m with her!”

Upon seeing the letter I wrote to Ms. Burns:

Allow me to congratulate you on the excellent letter entitled: "A Lifelong Catholic Pays Tribute to the Nuns" that was published by the New York Times today. As always your voice is a beacon of light.

                       

In case you haven’t seen it, the Washington Post’s E. J. Dione, himself a life-long Catholic, also published an excellent article on the subject, which I quote below:

Catholic Bishops’ double message

By E.J. Dionne Jr.

I identify entirely with my friend and colleague Melinda Hennenberger’s excellent take on the Vatican’s crackdown on American nuns. Indeed, I also liked what one commenter on her piece had to say: “The American Bishops should be washing the feet of American nuns and sisters!” Actually, all of us who are Catholic should honor the nuns. The Church would be lost without them. I hope to have more to say on this unfortunate Vatican statement next week.

It’s especially odd that a criticism of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious for apparently placing too much emphasis on Catholic social teaching came in the same week that the Bishops offered strong criticism of Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget (without mentioning Ryan by name). A letter signed by Bishop Stephen E. Blaire on behalf of his fellow prelates called on Congress to “protect essential programs that serve poor and hungry people over subsidies that assist large and relatively well-off agricultural enterprises.” He also said: “Cuts to nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will hurt hungry children, poor families, vulnerable seniors and workers who cannot find employment. These cuts are unjustified and wrong.”

There is a real struggle going on in the Church right now between conservatives, who seem intent on making President Obama a target and downplaying the Church’s social mission, and more progressive Catholics, who think the Church should be placing even more emphasis on social justice and issue more emphatic rejections of budget cuts along the lines of Bishop Blaire’s letter. Conservatives have had the upper hand over the last few months, but Bishop Blaire’s statement can be seen in part as a response to the pushback from Catholic liberals who wondered where the Bishops have been in the ongoing budget fight. (Blaire, it should be said, has a strong social justice commitment of his own.)

My hunch is that the attack on the nuns will bring a lot more blowback from progressive Catholics. Up to now, Catholic conservatives have been especially aggressive in pushing the Bishops’ Conference to the right. The Bishops will now be getting a lot more pressure from Catholics on the other side. I think conservatives will ultimately regret targeting the sisters. The nuns have a great many friends in the Church.

The article can be found here.

I then added:

As a non-Catholic, but a keen observer of the Church, I am dismayed at the constant chipping away of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council under Pope John XXIII, who, unfortunately, did not enshrine his legacy by appointing many like minded Cardinals.

I am also surprised that the church leaders, in the Vatican and in the US bishops conference are not more meek in their attack on the church’s mission to aid, assist and protect the poor, particularly after the sex sandals that engulfed and are still engulfing the Bishops, though, I am glad to note that Bishop Stephen P. Blair called on Congress to “protect essential programs that serve poor and hungry people over subsidies that assist large and relatively well-off agricultural enterprises.”

The real shame is the media, who give far more coverage to the churches unfortunate positions, and very little to positives such as the sisters and Bishop Stephen P. Blair's statement.

As in any institution, and indeed in mankind itself, the battle between good and evil is never-ending.

Comments, questions, or corrections, are welcome and will be responded to and distributed with attribution, unless the writer requests that he/she not be identified.