"Vatican Aims to Regain Trust of US Religious Women," / Vatican in Damage Control Mode/Nuns' Triumph Advances Women's Equality in Church

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/vatican-aims-regain-trust-us-religious-women-official-says
Aug. 10, 2011
In the final stage of the apostolic visitation of U.S. women's religious communities, the Vatican congregation overseeing the study not only is facing mountains of paper, but must try to rebuild a relationship of trust with the women, said the congregation's secretary.

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS)

"In an interview Aug. 10 with Catholic News Service, Archbishop Tobin said the congregation hoped its review of the visitation reports and its responses to the participating religious communities would be marked by dialogue and would be a step toward healing..."I'm an optimist, but also trying to be realistic: The trust that should characterize the daughters and sons of God and disciples of Jesus isn't recovered overnight. I think women religious have a right to say, 'Well, let's see,'" he said.
The former prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Franc Rode, initiated the visitation in January 2009, saying its aim would be to study the community, prayer and apostolic life of the orders to learn why the number of religious women in the United States had declined so sharply since the 1960s.
The congregation, which has a staff of 40, including only three native English speakers, will need help reading, assessing and responding to the reports, he said.
One possibility, Archbishop Tobin said, is to ask religious congregations based in Rome to allow U.S. members of their general councils to serve as consultants to the congregation and help go through all the reports.
The fact that Cardinal Rode had decided the visitors' reports would not be shared with the individual communities was only "part of the real harm done at the beginning," Archbishop Tobin said. The situation was exacerbated by "rumors and, I would say, some rather unscrupulous canonical advisers exploited that" by sowing fear that the Vatican would replace the leadership of some communities or dissolve them altogether.
"It's like Fox News, they keep people coming back because they keep them afraid," Archbishop Tobin said.
"But certainly, on our side of the river or our side of the pond, we had created an atmosphere where that was possible," and where the idea that some communities would be closed down "didn't seem to be so outlandish."
"It's like preaching; it's not what you say, it's what they hear ... and what a lot of these women heard was someone telling them their life was not loyal and faith-filled," he said.

Bridget Mary's Reflection
The Vatican is obviously in full damage control in the fallout of their failed witch -hunt like investigation of the nuns. The nuns' prayer-power and holy witness to Christ has overwhelmed the Vatican investigation!
Archbishop Tobin gets that it will take a mighty long time!
Rebuilding trust will demand a Vatican transformation of a patriarchal structure that treats women as second class citizens. An impossible dream! Let's hope not! The Holy Spirit is working in the people of God who support the egalitarian vision of a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered church, not an all-male boys club!
The Nuns vs. Vatican is not only a tale that vindicates the nuns, but also, a story that promotes the cause of women's equality. In the end, justice always prevails. We are reaching a tipping point for a more open, just, inclusive church. We now have a renewed priestly ministry of women in the Roman Catholic Women Priests' International Movement that reflects the vision of Jesus' love for all in grassroots communities.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.associationoformancatholicwomenpriests.org