US nuns crackdown may harm the Church, priest warns
As rallies and vigils in support of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious gather momentum, one priest says the Church's stance could prove costly.
- United States
- May 30, 2012
Catholics around the U.S. are coming together for prayer vigils as a show of support for America's nuns, whom the Vatican accuses of having "serious doctrinal problems."
The Wednesday (May 30) vigil at St. Colman Catholic Church in Cleveland follows a Vatican move last month to intervene and reform the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an umbrella organization that represents the leaders of most U.S. nuns.
Similar rallies have already been held or are planned from Anchorage, Alaska to Boston, organized by the loose-knit Nun Justice Project, a coalition of lay reform groups.
The Vatican scolded the LCWR for making statements that "disagree with or challenge positions taken by the bishops, who are the church's authentic teachers of faith and morals."
The crackdown has caused an uproar among some Catholics, sparking dozens of vigils in cities across the country.
A Cleveland priest who has gone public with his support for the sisters says the Vatican action is an undeserved slap in the face to dedicated and educated women, and the anger it has created could trigger a major exodus from the pews.
"It's another event in which the people are disappointed in the leadership of the Catholic Church," said the Rev. Doug Koesel, pastor of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Cleveland. "This has the potential to be damaging to the church in the United States. Many Catholics have already walked away."
Koesel is encouraging his parishioners to attend the prayer vigil in support of the nuns. The event is being organized by FutureChurch, a national liberal group based in Lakewood, Ohio.
Full Story: Catholics rally around nuns amid Vatican crackdown
Source: Religion News Service
The Wednesday (May 30) vigil at St. Colman Catholic Church in Cleveland follows a Vatican move last month to intervene and reform the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an umbrella organization that represents the leaders of most U.S. nuns.
Similar rallies have already been held or are planned from Anchorage, Alaska to Boston, organized by the loose-knit Nun Justice Project, a coalition of lay reform groups.
The Vatican scolded the LCWR for making statements that "disagree with or challenge positions taken by the bishops, who are the church's authentic teachers of faith and morals."
The crackdown has caused an uproar among some Catholics, sparking dozens of vigils in cities across the country.
A Cleveland priest who has gone public with his support for the sisters says the Vatican action is an undeserved slap in the face to dedicated and educated women, and the anger it has created could trigger a major exodus from the pews.
"It's another event in which the people are disappointed in the leadership of the Catholic Church," said the Rev. Doug Koesel, pastor of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Cleveland. "This has the potential to be damaging to the church in the United States. Many Catholics have already walked away."
Koesel is encouraging his parishioners to attend the prayer vigil in support of the nuns. The event is being organized by FutureChurch, a national liberal group based in Lakewood, Ohio.
Full Story: Catholics rally around nuns amid Vatican crackdown
Source: Religion News Service
