LCWR-VATICAN Apr-24-2009 (630 words) xxxi
LCWR officers meet with Vatican officials, including Cardinal Levada
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Four top officers of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious met at the Vatican in late April with the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who had ordered a "doctrinal assessment" of the group's activities.
The president, president-elect, past president and executive director of the organization of superiors of most of the women's religious orders in the United States met April 22 with U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the doctrinal congregation.
They also met April 24 with officials of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, said Sister Annmarie Sanders, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and LCWR director of communications.
The officers involved in the Vatican meetings were: Sister J. Lora Dambroski of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God, LCWR president; Sister Marlene Weisenbeck of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, president-elect; Sister Mary Whited of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, past president; and School Sister of Notre Dame Jane Burke, executive director.
Sister Annmarie said the leaders, who had been planning their Vatican visit before they learned of the doctrinal investigation, also met with officials of the Congregation for Eastern Churches and the pontifical councils for Justice and Peace, Migrants and Travelers, and Interreligious Dialogue.
In a Feb. 20 letter, Cardinal Levada informed the LCWR about the investigation, which will be headed by Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, a member of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Doctrine.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said Cardinal Levada asked Bishop Blair "to undertake in the coming months a study regarding doctrinal problems that have presented themselves in the area of female religious life in the United States."
While Cardinal Levada's letter to the LCWR has not been made public, the National Catholic Reporter, an independent national Catholic newspaper based in Kansas City, Mo., said April 15 it had obtained a copy of LCWR's letter explaining its contents to its members.
The newspaper had said the doctrinal assessment was presented as a follow-up to a 2001 meeting between LCWR leaders and officials of the doctrinal congregation. At the 2001 meeting, the women religious were asked to report on "the initiatives taken or planned" to promote acceptance of Vatican teachings on "the problem of homosexuality," the ordination of women to the priesthood and the 2000 declaration "Dominus Iesus."
A statement issued April 23 by the four LCWR officers who were in Rome did not mention any of the subjects discussed with the Vatican officials. Reached by telephone, Sister Annmarie said she could not comment further.
The only mention of the investigation in the leaders' statement said they were disappointed to learn from the National Catholic Reporter that some U.S. bishops "may have requested" the Vatican to order the doctrinal assessment.
"We have always been clear that we are open to dialogue with our U.S. bishops and, during the last 12 months, have been in contact with several of them over issues of concern regarding our ongoing relationships with local and international church leaders," the four said.
"We continue to remain open to conversation with the (U.S. bishops') Committee on Doctrine and any bishop who would be interested in speaking to us," they said.
The four officers thanked their members who "offered their prayer and fasting for our work this week as we met in Rome with various officials of the Vatican. This expression of support has only strengthened the great solidarity that exists among us as we together carry out the mission of LCWR."
The members of the conference, which is based in Maryland, represent about 95 percent of the 67,000 women religious in the United States.
LCWR officers meet with Vatican officials, including Cardinal Levada
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Four top officers of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious met at the Vatican in late April with the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who had ordered a "doctrinal assessment" of the group's activities.
The president, president-elect, past president and executive director of the organization of superiors of most of the women's religious orders in the United States met April 22 with U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the doctrinal congregation.
They also met April 24 with officials of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, said Sister Annmarie Sanders, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and LCWR director of communications.
The officers involved in the Vatican meetings were: Sister J. Lora Dambroski of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God, LCWR president; Sister Marlene Weisenbeck of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, president-elect; Sister Mary Whited of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, past president; and School Sister of Notre Dame Jane Burke, executive director.
Sister Annmarie said the leaders, who had been planning their Vatican visit before they learned of the doctrinal investigation, also met with officials of the Congregation for Eastern Churches and the pontifical councils for Justice and Peace, Migrants and Travelers, and Interreligious Dialogue.
In a Feb. 20 letter, Cardinal Levada informed the LCWR about the investigation, which will be headed by Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, a member of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Doctrine.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said Cardinal Levada asked Bishop Blair "to undertake in the coming months a study regarding doctrinal problems that have presented themselves in the area of female religious life in the United States."
While Cardinal Levada's letter to the LCWR has not been made public, the National Catholic Reporter, an independent national Catholic newspaper based in Kansas City, Mo., said April 15 it had obtained a copy of LCWR's letter explaining its contents to its members.
The newspaper had said the doctrinal assessment was presented as a follow-up to a 2001 meeting between LCWR leaders and officials of the doctrinal congregation. At the 2001 meeting, the women religious were asked to report on "the initiatives taken or planned" to promote acceptance of Vatican teachings on "the problem of homosexuality," the ordination of women to the priesthood and the 2000 declaration "Dominus Iesus."
A statement issued April 23 by the four LCWR officers who were in Rome did not mention any of the subjects discussed with the Vatican officials. Reached by telephone, Sister Annmarie said she could not comment further.
The only mention of the investigation in the leaders' statement said they were disappointed to learn from the National Catholic Reporter that some U.S. bishops "may have requested" the Vatican to order the doctrinal assessment.
"We have always been clear that we are open to dialogue with our U.S. bishops and, during the last 12 months, have been in contact with several of them over issues of concern regarding our ongoing relationships with local and international church leaders," the four said.
"We continue to remain open to conversation with the (U.S. bishops') Committee on Doctrine and any bishop who would be interested in speaking to us," they said.
The four officers thanked their members who "offered their prayer and fasting for our work this week as we met in Rome with various officials of the Vatican. This expression of support has only strengthened the great solidarity that exists among us as we together carry out the mission of LCWR."
The members of the conference, which is based in Maryland, represent about 95 percent of the 67,000 women religious in the United States.