Referring to the eight-page statement recently released by the Office of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Sister Mary Rose Reddy, DMML, debunks LCWR claims that the document disparages women religious.
"Actually the contrary is true; the document praises the legitimate contributions of women religious over the years," she writes.
"At the same time as the Holy See praises these legitimate accomplishments it rightfully criticizes destructive aberrations in authentic religious life that have developed in and through the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)."
She goes on to cite some of the LCWR errors that the Vatican rightfully addresses in their statement: , such as the diminution of the Christological center and focus of religious consecration that has occurred under their leadership; destructive teachings, dissent from the Church's position on women's ordination and the correct approach to ministry to homosexual persons, and it's silence on issues concerning the sanctity of life from birth to natural death.
"Having been a professed religious Sister for more than 29 years I welcome this statement of the Holy See. We, the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love (along with hundreds and probably thousands of other women religious), do not feel at all represented by the LCWR. We consider that the vocation of women religious is to personify the Church as Bride. The Bride is submissive to Christ, the Head (as particularly represented by the Pope and the magisterium). Through this powerful charism of submissive obedience, entrusted particularly to women religious in imitation of the exalted Mother of God, the life of Christ is brought to birth and nurtured in multitudes of hearts. Thank you, Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy See for protecting the authentic charism of women religious which we receive as an eternal gift from Christ the Bridegroom."
Sister Reddy is a founding sister of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love, an order devoted to housing children who have been victimized by trauma, abuse and neglect. They are popularly known as the "Running Nuns" because of their habit of running every day to help relieve the anger and stress of the victimized children.
She published this article because she "feels so strongly that we need to speak out for the many Sisters who love and support our Holy Father and the magisterium.”
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