Archbishop Raymond Burke has directed his ire at the nuns who stood up for access to health care, for people who cannot afford it in the U.S. The reason that he is upset with the good Sisters is that they dissented from the "authority of Rome". What ever happened to the primacy of conscience that Vatican 11 taught?
Sorry, Archbishop Burke, it appears that the Vatican clearly does not control the nuns anymore, no matter how many investigations or "inquisitions" they initiate against religious orders. That horse left the barn for most religious orders long ago! Indeed, when Pope John XXIII opened the windows to let fresh air blow through the church, blind obedience blew out and primacy of conscience blew in on the wings of the Spirit of God to renew our church.
To be honest, nuns today do not need the good housekeeping seal of Vatican approval. They have earned their stripes by centuries of selfless dedication for little recognition in our church. Nuns are free moral agents like every other adult Catholic capable of making ethical decisions that reflect the call of God in the 21st century. In a church devoid of women in decision-making roles in the Vatican, the hierarchy is out of touch with many issues that people face in living faithful, holy lives. The nuns are leading the way in a global world, working for justice, equality and peace with the marginalized and under-served in our society. They are practicing prophetic obedience to the Spirit as they serve the people of God.
Instead of criticizing the nuns, Archbishop Burke and the all male-hierarchy should utilize the Sisters' gifts in leadership in the Vatican. Archbishop Burke should also affirm the call of women to a renewed priestly ministry in an inclusive community of equals. If anyone owes the people of God an apology for "obstinae betrayal", it is Vatican and our male-hierarchy for the global sexual abuse scandal that has gutted the moral credibility of the institutional church!
Perhaps, it is time for the nuns to run the Vatican!!
Bridget Mary Meehan, sfcc I belong to the Sisters for Christian Community, an independent community of women religious who are serving the church in U.S. Mexico, Canada. African, Asia.
703-505-0004Vatican Official Slams 'Obstinate Betrayal' of U.S. Nuns, Cath. Health Assoc. etc.
"Official" anger at U.S. nuns over their support of Obama's Health Care plan.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/printerfriendly.html?articleid=10041201
"Catholic consecrated religious who openly dissent from the authority of Rome and the church's teaching on life are "an absurdity of the most tragic kind" and should cease identifying themselves as Catholic, said Archbishop Raymond Burke, the head of Rome's Apostolic Signatura."
"Burke gave the remarks in his keynote address Friday at the Institute for Religious Life’s national meeting at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. The Institute also honored Burke with their Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award at a celebration of the legacy of Servant of God Fr. John Hardon, SJ."
5 comments:
Bridget Mary,
I am going to be like Rav, here for a minute.
Please produce the citation from Vatican II which talks about the primacy of Conscience in the way you mean it- that is to say a Conscience that is allowed to make decisions totally uninformed and apart from the teachings and Faith of the Church.
The bishop did not criticize the nuns because they "dissented from the authority of Rome." He criticized the nuns becasue of their support of a health care plan which supports abortion. You well know that Bridget Mary.
Stop distorting the facts.
Apologist --
You are mixing apples and oranges and trying to come up with a banana split.
Why are you limiting primacy of conscience to Vatican II? Aquinas wrote extensively on the subject.
Rav,
Yes, I know that Aquinas wrote extensively on the subject.
My reasoning for asking for the relavent Vatican II citation is becasue Bridget Mary specifically referenced Vatican II in her post. Seconldy, while Aquinas was most definately brilliant, even unsurpassed in theological eleqouence, nevertheless Aquinas is an individual. His teachings carry authority only insor far as the Church recieves them and hands them on.
As it stands the Church has recieved the notion that Conscience is Supreme and it does teach this. However what I want for you or Bridget Mary to do is show where the Church teaches that our Conscience may function independently of Church teaching- or for that matter Aquinas. Please produce a list or lists of the relavent citation of citations which state that "One may dismiss the Church's teaching as irrelavent if one does not like it, if one finds it "offensive" or if it just plain makes one feel bad, becasue one's conscience is the arbitar of truth, not Church teaching."
Suggestion, Apologist --
Sign on to the VaticanII-doc list (a yahoogroups list). Then, go to the archives and search for whatever you please. That group actually has a very good set of research components on their archive system.
Everybody ....
Bishop Raymond Burke, formerly of St. Louis disliked any woman to question his decision concerning anything. THE DAY before his NEW ROME title was announced - he publicaly excommunicated one of the Sisters from St. Louis, this was in June of 2006.
During his tenure in St. Louis he has tried to take monies from a historical parish of culture, and when they would not give him the monies they had raised to keep their treasure of historic Church culture refurbished ...He THEN ...GET THIS ...HE THEN EXCOMMUNICATED THE ENTIRE PARISH !!!!
I will dig up the old article but not tonight.
I have never met Burke myself, but his answer to things when he does not get his way is to separate people from the BODY of Christ ! NOT anyway for a person of God to be acting !
I'll dig more for you later.
And then ...yeppers, he got a big promotion to ROME !
Post a Comment