In
his new note he went on to say in the process of “going out” the church always
risks running into “accidents,” adding, “I prefer a
thousand times over a church of accidents than a sick church.”
A
church of accidents … a church willing to take risks on the edges … a church
dedicated to service of the most needy … a church working on behalf of mercy,
peace and justice…
This
sounds a lot like the church U.S. Catholic sisters have been building in recent
decades. Not only U.S. women religious, but also women religious around the
world have been at this work. It is the women who have lived closest to the
marginalized; it is the women who have worked on the “peripheries;” it is the
women who have gone precisely where Francis is encouraging others to go.
And
what has been their reward?
Have
they been lifted up by others?
Have
they been acclaimed by their church leadership?
No.
Despite occasional laudatory words to the contrary, these faith-filled women
have been too often demeaned and too often tarnished with accusations of alleged
infidelity. The most ironic element in this sad story has been that these
accusations have arisen out of the ranks of the very men who have inflicted
great damage to the church by repeated patterns of sex abuse cover-up.
Christians
have learned to expect persecution. Being voices for the poor, the marginalized,
gays and lesbians, the uninsured or pregnant young mothers are rare
undertakings. But the women religious have toiled endlessly to assist and
represent these largely voiceless people.
While
persecution comes with the territory of living and working in the “accidental”
church, we don’t expect such attacks to come from our own clergy. Yet, too often
they have.
Hiding
behind highly exaggerated accusations of infidelity, certain bishops have
revealed stunning ignorance. In the process they have abused their authority.
It’s been the easier course.
The takeover of the
Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) by the Vatican’s Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, the result of an extended “doctrinal assessment,”
knowledgeable Catholics understand has much less to do with core beliefs than
with episcopal obedience.
Our
women religious are among those who understand this firsthand. We have all come
to see too many of our prelates feel uncomfortable around women. The result is
they stay away from them. This results, over time, in more fear and almost
certain misunderstandings. Only open, sustained discussions -- on equal footing
-- can set a new course toward church health.
We
need conversations in which Catholic women and men -- religious, clergy and
laity -- can talk freely in a spirit of mutual support about their faith and
church lives.
It
would be a healing experience and needs to take place in dioceses across the
country. This would be a step.
Our
women are the most theologically educated in the history of the church. The
differences between their thinking and our bishops’ thinking has less to do with
faith and doctrine than church structure, and more to do with applications of
church teachings and mission. There is plenty of core common ground.
The
first step, however, is to recognize that women carry vital insights necessary
to restoring health to the “sick” church of which Francis speaks. Without women
participating as equals in engaged discussions there is little hope such health
can be found.
Even
more fundamentally, then, the Vatican/LCWR issue is really about whether the
current male clerical decision-making system can sustain church life in the 21st
century. Huge numbers have concluded it cannot.
The
Vatican’s current path, which excludes women religious from any semblance of
self-determination, ostensibly in a spirit of mutual episcopal cooperation,
threatens the continue life of the church. Moreover, it is an assault on all
women. In turn, it is an assault on all Catholics.
We
are fast approaching a perilous moment. This highly visible rift between the
Vatican and Catholic sisters begs a question: Can our church sustain
theologically literate women in its ranks? More widely, can it attract dedicated
women of any stripe? We are losing these women faster than one can imagine. Ask
almost any parent of a grown daughter.
The
Vatican congregation’s doctrinal assessment of LCWR, apparently for now
upheld by Francis, is, then, a blow to all who want to restore community and
health to the church.
If
the Vatican insists on carrying out its LCWR takeover, the group will have no
choice but to end its canonical relationship with the institutional church. This
is because the entire LCWR body almost unanimously
voted last August to continue a dialogue with the bishops as long as the
effort does not compromise LCWR integrity.
At
issue is not obedience. It is rather the dignity of every person and the rights
of every person in the church, stemming from his or her baptism.
We
are coming perilously close to a point of rupture. Some, of course, would relish
such a break. However, their satisfaction would be short lived. For such a break
would send out a loud signal, one that would echo through history, that the most
significant U.S. women religious body had concluded fidelity to conscience and
fidelity to the values of the Gospels required separation. It would be a
stunning blow to all Catholics.
LCWR,
canonically or not, in reality or in spirit, will continue to serve our
communities of women religious and, through them, the neediest of human
beings.
Our
women religious will remain Catholic to the core despite efforts by some to
paint them otherwise. Indeed, they will have concluded church dedication to
missionrequired separation.
Charges
and counter-charges will ensue. But an honest evaluation would find that the
women took action only following the deepest of soul searching in a spirit of
community, dedication and love.
It
would also find the final straw was not doctrinal. Instead, it was finally about
faithfulness to the very Gospel ideals which Francis preaches each day. "
