Dialogue between Vatican and LCWR needs a boost

Allesandro Speciale
Vatican Insider
May 6, 2013

The Vatican’s relationship with America’s nuns cannot be reduced to confrontation and as far as the Holy See’s concerned, it’s time to open a so far non-existent path to dialogue with the women religious in the U.S. Brazilian cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Joao Braz de Aviz admitted this during the plenary meeting of religious superiors from across the world, on Sunday.

“Starting a dialogue that didn’t exist before is possible,” the cardinals said in an interview with the International Union of Superiors General (UISG).

Last April, with the then Pope Benedict XVI’s approval, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published a critical report on the behaviour and activities of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the body which represents 80% of U.S. women religious. The LCWR was criticised for giving a voice to “radical feminism” during its conferences and for focusing its efforts on fighting poverty but not abortion. The Archbishop of Seattle, Mgr. Peter J. Sartain, was nominated a “delegate” and given the task of reorganising the Conference. A week or so ago Pope Francis issued a communiqué “reaffirming” the Holy See’s position with regards to the LCWR.

In a long meeting Cardinal Braz de Aviz held with the 800 women religious present in Rome over the past few days, he admitted he had not been informed about the inquiry carried out by the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith or about its provisions before the inquiry was concluded, despite the fact he is head of the dicastery that deals with religious life.

According to the U.S. weekly National Catholic Reporter, Braz de Aviz stated: “cardinals can't be mistrustful of each other." Braz de Aviz mentioned a meeting he had with the then Prefect of the former Holy Office, American cardinal, William Levada, to discuss the LCWR case: "We will obey what the Holy Father wants and what will be decided through you. But we must say that this material which should be discussed together has not been discussed together," the Brazilian cardinal said, adding that he was very saddened by the tensions between the Vatican and the U.S. nuns.

In the interview, Braz de Aviz praised the new path of “communion” taken by Pope Francis, not just within the Church but across the whole of humanity.” “We lack humanity if we are not aware of the importance of communion.

According to the Prefect of the Congregation for religious life, the tensions and misunderstandings between the Vatican and the LCWR are not just “a question of “we are right and they are not”” but are a sign that the two need to “start a dialogue that didn’t exist before.” “The two positions are very different. There is a programme that needs to be carried out – the cardinal added – but excluding is not the way forward, we need to find some paths to follow.”