Thanks for the very wise observations, Becky. This is an important week for the nuns. I've got my "I support the nuns" sticker on my car for them.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) are meeting this week to consider their response to the Vatican. So far, I think they've responded admirably and very judiciously, maintaining almost a uniform silence while support builds and the bishops squirm. The Vatican, to its credit, has appointed three bishops to deal with the LCWR, and all three seem to be very nice people - no aggressive firebrands in the lot.

It hasn't been stated so directly, but it's clear the issue is the progressive philosophy of the LCWR, which is very much different from the overall conservative trend in the Catholic Church. Specific charges are mostly the speakers who are selected to speak at LCWR meetings. One would think that the Vatican is trying to shelter the nuns from wayward thinking, but these are highly educated women (leaders of religious orders, fer Chrissake), and I really don't think they need to be protected from incorrect thinking. It's hard to believe that the Vatican would think it needs to shelter women like these from "false teaching." Many of these women are far better-educated than your run-of-the-mill bishop. I think the Vatican would be far more comfortable with mindless penguins.

I just can't figure out what the Vatican is trying to do, but it frightens me that they would try to do it.

The nuns are the last, best hope for progressive Catholics. I sure as hell hope the nuns win out.

-Joe-