It’s Time for Women to Run the Catholic Church Step aside, Men, and Let the Sisters Rule. By Beth Capriotti 6/06/2012

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2012/06/06/time-women-run-catholic-church/

....This latest scandal seems to indicate that the Pope’s house isn’t so clean either. There have been some shady shenanigans going on within the Vatican to further the wealth and power of the Holy See. Geez, and I thought they were there to protect the Holy Gospel and the Holy Church, not line the pockets of some very long red robes. Hmmm, more men behaving badly.

And speaking of men behaving badly, let’s get back to those scary, mean old nuns and the latest news to come from Rome. Turns out the ladies aren’t so bad after all. The Vatican sent a letter to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious chastising nuns for spending too much time on helping the sick and the poor instead of supporting the Church’s stance on gay marriage and abortion, claiming the sisters have fallen under the sway of radical feminism.

We’re talking about nuns.

Leave us alone, the nuns responded. While it’s true that some orders have been vocal in their ministry of gays and lesbians and have also called for the Church to relax its stance on birth control, it’s a stretch to call such behavior radical feminism. In fact, the group asserts that they are only doing what they believe is their calling, to minister to God’s people. Nuns run schools and hospitals, and minister to the sick and poor all over the world. They don’t make church policy, and they don’t like being mandated to alter their focus to politics rather than healing and education. You go, Sisters. The Conference has been, as a punishment of sorts for their “radical behavior,” put under the control of a trio of bishops. That’s right, let the boys take over. We all know what a good job they’ve been doing."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

One of the issues the nuns are in trouble with the Vatican for is their support of women's ordination. Some nuns, like Sister Louise Lears, who attended an ordination, have been fired from their jobs. I am blessed by their witness for justice for women in the church and frankly, I hope that those who are called by God and their communities pursue ordination. We, in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement, are waiting for the day they can do so in public without fear of punishment. And that day could be soon, if they declare their independence from Vatican oppression! Justice is rising up in our church and world and the Sisters are leading the way!

Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

www.arcwp.org

sofiabmm@aol.com