By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
In response to continuing questions about the reasons behind the Vatican’s Visitation of U.S. women’s religious communities, Cardinal Franc Rode, prefect for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life said it was launched in response to “many years” of listening to concerns from American Catholics about the welfare of religious women.
According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), Cardinal Rode issued a statement yesterday saying his dicastery has been considering a visitation for years, and also promised to make a report on the objective findings available to the public.
“For many years this dicastery had been listening to concerns expressed by American Catholics – religious, laity, clergy and hierarchy – about the welfare of religious women and consecrated life in general, and had been considering an Apostolic Visitation as a means to assess and constructively address these concerns,” Cardinal Rode said.
“My hope is that the Apostolic Visitation will not only provide the Holy See with a thorough analysis of the condition of religious life in the United States, but also be a realistic and graced opportunity for personal and community introspection, as major superiors and sisters cooperate with this study.”
Thus far, Cardinal Rode said he is pleased with the response that Apostolic Visitator Mother Mary Clare Millea has received from more than three-fourths of the superiors general. The Visitation is currently in it’s second of four stages.
Cardinal Rode concluded his statement by stating that he is “encouraged by the efforts to identify the signs of hope, as well as concerns, within religious congregations in the United States, which are also likely to have implications elsewhere in the world. I ask all people of good will to unite in prayer for the fruitful outcome of this effort to promote the Catholic identity and vibrancy of life of women religious.”
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