MEDIA RELEASE: Amidst Vatican Crackdown, Women Religious Taught Us Well

Amidst Vatican Crackdown, Women Religious Taught Us Well

For Immediate Release | April 16, 2015

In 2012 thousands of Catholics around the country mobilized in over 50 cities with unprecedented action to stand in solidarity with women religious in response to a Vatican mandate against the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). In the following months they kept a vigilant eye on the Vatican’s process and continued to support the sisters with prayers, letters and action.

Today, the Vatican has backed off on their mandate against the LCWR and offered praise of the group, saying their mission “makes religious women and men radical witnesses to the Gospel, and, therefore essential for the flourishing of religious life in the Church.”

The conclusion of the controversial investigation into U.S. women religious is enthusiastically welcomed.

“The bold and faithful witness of women religious, their leadership, gifts and charisms are pivotal for the life of our Church. We give thanks that this painful experience appears to have finally come to an end” said Jim FitzGerald, Call To Action’s Executive Director. “We continue to stand with the sisters and hope today’s action opens the door for a more equal relationship between women leaders and Vatican officials.”

FitzGerald went on to say that women religious taught us well.

“Even as the Vatican’s unjust mandate backed the LCWR into a corner, women religious taught us what it is like to stand tall with integrity and courage. They modeled how to be a Church of relationship, dialogue, and consensus-building.  All the while, they never wavered on what was most important to them, their fundamental values, mission and vision. This is the epitome of faith-based leadership.”

Call To Action and thousands of Catholics around the country give thanks and praise for women religious and the work they do to usher into today’s world the reign of God.

Contact:

Ryan J. Hoffmann, Director of Communications

ryan@cta-usa.org | Ph: 574.675.6726