Comments on: American nuns to get screwed by the Vatican?

By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:03:19 +0000

Gee, I’m sorry I’m late to the party on this one. American women religious are the best-educated group of Catholics in the world. We learned that religious life is a charism – a gift from the Holy Spirit to the Church. The history of religious life is a history of the church hierarchy trying to exercise control over the communities. So, some groups of women who banded together refused to take vows or call themselves “nuns” because they would automatically be enclosed in convents. Read up on some history – the church for many years made all nuns live an enclosed life, even if they were teachers (the students came in to them). Communities that were founded to help the poor or sick in their own homes were forced behind grated windows. This led to “third orders” and “externs”, which most of the Sisters with whom you would be familiar actually are. They have the simple vows of the extern sister, as opposed to the solemn vows of the cloistered num. In the US we have a bad habit -haha – of calling all the sisters ‘nuns’. Most of you have never seen a ‘nun’ because they are all in cloisters.

I did a vocation talk for a class of sixth-grade Catholic school kids many years ago. One girl asked, why do sisters have short hair? I explained that we didn’t spend our time or money on our hair; I had to be at morning prayer at 5:45, Mass at 6:15, work at 7. The parish priest stepped in and contradicted me, telling them it was to “avoid vanity”. But, see, this is from centuries of the church trying to turn Sisters into genderless creatures.

Religious life, it’s really great. I think the sisters are their own worst enemies. Trying to join a community these days is like trying to break into Fort Knox.

By: qb

qb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:57:06 +0000

To be really pedantic about this (this is Catholicism after all) any problems with a religious community or order should be done through the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Order General (or Prior).

This is being conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Basically it looks like it’s shaping up into a major league slap down much like the way they dealt with Liberation Theology. If that happens nuns like Sister Sandra Schneiders could be forbidden to teach, write, or speak publicly and her order would have nothing to say about it.

By: Gary, the dangerous infidel

Gary, the dangerous infidel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:11:11 +0000

Good explanation, qb. Maybe it’s time for the nuns to request an audience with His Holiness to better express their concerns in person…

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2360231141_82d315dc02.jpg

By: qb

qb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:33:19 +0000

A few points here for the uninitiated. The RCC does not “employ” a religious member, or even a diocesan priest for that matter. Although these nuns need to follow the norms of church law, they are not under holy orders – but are under a vow of obedience to their mother generals who is responsible for their conduct.

What’s peeving them off is that the Vatican is messing around inside their orders while it’s still way, way out of bounds. In no way, shape or form have they violated church law. If they had violated church law they would be open to excommunication which is absurd in this situation.

Basically it’s more of Ratzinger clamping down on religious orders, which he’s been doing for years (he was J2P2’s heavy hitter). BTW, you may notice that he’s conveniently clamping down on religious women and avoiding the religious men who’ve been doing the same thing forever.

By: deowll

deowll — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:02:38 +0000

If you aren’t a Catholic then you don’t have a dog in this race. Stick a sock in it.

Now I’m going to take my own advice.

By: sac

sac — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:33:37 +0000

Alphie style nuns

By: Mr. Fusion

Mr. Fusion — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:28:05 +0000

#32 & 33,

If we are “statists”, would that make Alphie a “stator”.

New question. Does modern medicine have a name for it if 306,982,714 Americans are wrong and only Alphie and Crazy Davey are right?

By: Mr. Fusion

Mr. Fusion — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:19:31 +0000

#36, Alphie,

… the church is entirely within its rights to insist those who are employed by it, follow their rules.

Nuns are not employees of the Catholic Church. They happen to be strong believers that give up the ultimate gift to their god, themselves.

By: Alfred1

Alfred1 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:01 +0000

Evidently no Catholics reading this blog…

Although I’m not a Catholic, the church is entirely within its rights to insist those who are employed by it, follow their rules.

As for the present pope, if I was Catholic, I might be pleased with him thus far.

Of course I have serious doctrinal differences with certain extra-biblical traditions in Catholicism…

But as for him being “impeached” for “attacking the nuns,” its absurd, no attack exists, and no mechanism exists to impeach.

A side note…some of the odd sexual content in some replies…is strange…you gents should get a room.

By: qb

qb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:59:27 +0000

#34 Doubt from last year. It’s a long way the Sound of Music.

By: Uncle Patso

Uncle Patso — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:50:13 +0000

Remember when they used to make movies about nuns? When was the last time you saw a story about nuns? (Other than the Elvis movie.)

By: qb

qb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:09:23 +0000

#32 Gary, I was thinking of something far more rude. However, your answer is far funnier.

By: Gary, the dangerous infidel

Gary, the dangerous infidel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:51:02 +0000

#30 qb, is the word “statist”?

It’s a guess, but that’s my final answer.

By: jccalhoun

jccalhoun — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:41:55 +0000

Nuns do much of the dirty work no one else is willing or able to do.

Hmmm…. sounds like we should get illegal immigrants to become nuns!

By: qb

qb — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:27:13 +0000

Not only is Alfred1 getting powned, he’s powning himself. There’s a word for that…