American nuns stunned by Vatican accusation of ‘radical feminism,’ crackdown

[rug]

By Michelle Boorstein and Elizabeth Tenety, Published: April 20

American nuns struggled to respond Friday to a Vatican crackdown on what it calls “radical feminism” among the women and their purported failure to sufficiently condemn such issues as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Some nuns in the 55,000-member Leadership Conference of Women Religious characterized the disciplinary action announced Wednesday as an “ambush,” but others — including the leadership — said they couldn’t publicly comment on a system that mandates their obedience.

“People are stunned,” said Sister Pat McDermott, president of the 3,500-member Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, based in Silver Spring. “They’re outraged, angry, frustrated, they don’t know where this came from and how to hold it.”

Thousands of people joined a Twitter drive to support the Leadership Conference, which represents more than 80 percent of American nuns. Using the hashtag #whatsistersmeantome, one person wrote of the nun who “was the rock of our Catholic campus.” Another man tweeted about how his father lost his own mother at 13. “It was the Mercy sisters who consoled and loved him onward.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/american-nuns-stunned-by-vatican-accusation-of-radical-feminism-crackdown/2012/04/20/gIQAi4gkWT_story.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Ratzi is nuts.

If he wants to send people away from the Church in droves, this and the hardline stance on reproductive rights are among the best ways to do it.

Not that I particularly mind seeing the Church immolating itself.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. The Rat is an ancient, possibly senile, pedophile protector

For decades, he directed the transfer of abusive priests, he ordered noncompliance with discovery orders, he ordered people to lie under oath, and he did everything possible to prevent or interfere with investigations and trials.

This attack on "liberal" nuns is laughable, but given that Opus Dei's significant voice and the input of Marcial Maciel Degollado, (and his Legion of Christ), is it any surprise that The Rat chooses to attack them?

For those who don't know or forgot just what a complete criminal and asshole Maciel was, try Teh Google.

[cbayer]

4. Agree that this is just about the worst move they could make.

Their continued alienation of Catholic women could not be stupider.

[Goblinmonger]

5. It's worked for nearly 2000 years.

Why change the recipe now?

[skepticscott]

7. Exactly...we have a billion Catholics in the world

so the redhats must be making somebody happy.

[skepticscott]

3. I thought nuns were smarter than this

"they don't know where this came from"?? What church did you think you were part of Sister? What have you been paying attention to for the last 2000 years? Why do you think Catholic women are always nuns but never priests? Sheesh.

Just another example of how none of these little lay organizations have the slightest influence on what goes on in the redhat club. Twitter? Just the twitter of little birds to the power brokers in Rome, and totally inconsequential. But the delusional "change from within" crowd will keep coming back for more.

[ZombieHorde]

6. The nuns associated with assholes, and then acted surprised when

the assholes acted like assholes.

[MineralMan]

8. I find in it an interesting parallel with what the

Republicans are doing with regard to women. The difference is that Catholics don't vote on doctrine, so the results may be very different.

In this country, right now, it seems an unwise thing for the Vatican to do, though, and may not improve the membership numbers of the church. Irrelevancy will take its toll over time, I think.

[meow2u3]

9. Sounds like a smear job with nothing but hearsay

There is no evidence that the sisters have been engaging in the practices the leadership is accusing them of doing; this is apparently hearsay and/or some payback by members of Opus Dei, the Legion of Christ, or clerics with connections to those groups.

These conservative bishops have been acting very un-Christian and un-Catholic since Benedict XVI has been Pope, acting more like modern-day Pharisees than servants of Christ and the people. This newfound Catholic fundamentalism infuriates me. How dare those Opus Dei miscreants put down those nuns for focusing on economic justice and serving the poor instead of preaching against, and obsessing about, other people's sex lives. It makes me wonder what some of these bishops are trying to cover up by hiding behind Church doctrine about abortion.