I covered the announcement by the Vatican of its nearly three year investigation of nuns in the United States
First, and foremost, this is less about what the sisters have not done, and more about what they have done: consistently and steadfastly upheld the message of the Gospel, especially in caring for those that have been on the margins of society and those that have been seen as less than deserving:. the poor, including the working poor, and gay and lesbian people, in particular.
If the American Catholic Church has taken a more liberal bent, it is undoubtedly due to the American traditions of freedom, and liberty, that the sisters have embraced in the apostolate; and as history as shown, often ahead of elected officials.
But, the move by Rome has also shown the spotlight on the Catholic male-dominated hierarchy and its patriarchal misogyny – one that has shown unease with women, even in the time of early Christianity, or as religious historian and scriptural scholar, Gerd Theissen refers to as “primitive Christianity”; a period when some male leaders were uncomfortable with the role of women, even those notable Biblical figures such as Lydia, Phoebe, Priscilla and others who contributed funds, and meeting space, to the growing church, especially after it left Judaism, and spread westward from Asia Minor.
Church history has shown that there were female deacons, powerful abbesses, as late as the middle-ages, and whose power was legendary and wide-spread.
But, when the diaconate was curtailed, only to be reestablished, in the late 1960s, it did not include women, thus creating a vacuum for many Catholic women, many of whom belonged to religious orders and who also had the education, training, and vocation to succeed in this role.
As I noted in the article, much of the problem that the Church has with women is that it only has two models – virgins or whores – respectively the Blessed Mother, and the falsely labeled Mary of Magdala; leaving the spirit and lives of modern women at a drastic loss.
Many commentators, me included, have stressed the historical reality that the Catholic Church in America
Even a casual walk in Chicago
Misericordia was the brainchild of one such nun – Rosemary Connelly - whose creative, and dedicated energy has made a huge difference in the way that we view children who are developmentally disabled, and how they can lead productive lives.
Rome has never been comfortable with American Catholicism, seeing it as too liberal, too worldly, and too free – but this aside, they have also never turned away the money that supports much of the Church’s efforts worldwide, both charitable, and educational.
While the average age of the sisters is around 70, and its numbers decreasing, they have also kept the wheels turning; as the shortage of priests have strained parish, and especially sacramental life.
American nuns now serve as pastoral administrators, a euphemism for lay pastors, in areas where a full-time priest is not available, teach in its seminaries, author its papers, and even serve as de facto associate priests in many poor and urban parishes as pastoral assistants.
As Charles R. Morris noted in his seminal work, “American Catholic: The Saints and Sinners Who Built America’s Most Powerful Church
Morris wrote those words in 1997, and now the shortage of priests has grown even more acute, and many parishes, Chicago included, are importing priests from other countries, such as the UK, Southeast Asia, and Africa to help stem the shortage, which much like that of the sisters, is due to attrition.
Ordaining women, either those that are members of religious orders, or simply women would stem the tide, but Rome
But talk has continued, even if hope might not spring eternal; and again the fear of women, has dominated the discussion.
I laugh when I re-read the words of the late Mary Daly, theologian, feminist, and scholar who said in “The Church and the Second Sex”, “Even the mention of the idea appears to suggest to some that hordes of women priests (all resembling traditional Mother Superiors) will descent like invading soldier ants upon the heretofore all-male stronghold, thus producing a cultural shock of titanic proportions.”
It does seem that the cultic priesthood is so fearful of women that holding them at bay, and telling them what to wear, when to sit down, and when to speak, seems the norm.
But, while much ink – not to mention frequent flyer miles – has been spent on the so-called “visitations” to the American convents, the problem of pedophile priests is still present, with the spectacular news that 29 priests have been placed on administrative leave in Philadelphia
Now, the Vatican
Despite the disbelief that many have, upon hearing this, the group has long been as noted by the Associated Press, “a lighting rod for conservative criticism” because of purported inclusion of a Planned Parenthood brochure, at a conference, that discussed HIV young people to lead safe sex lives; or organizational links to the Sierra Club, Doctors Without Borders, and Oxfam because “they support family planning or emergency contraception.”
But, while the GSA notes that they take no position on contraception, or abortion, there seems to be guilt by association as far as the bishops are concerned.
All of which makes me wonder where the priorities are in a church whose moral authority has been compromised by decades long sexual abuse by its priests, and where traditionally Catholic countries, such as Ireland, have been rocked, and racked, by abuse; and whose adherents have had their faith nearly shattered by a systemic cover-up reaching all the way to the Vatican.
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