Earlier this spring, it came to the Vatican’s attention that a group of U.S. nuns had gone off the leash of the church’s teachings on some traditional doctrines including the evils of homosexuality, the imperative of male-only priesthood, and other such “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.” The Vatican was none too pleased, and publicly reprimanded the nuns in April.
Now, the nuns are raising the bar and hitting the road with a bus tour to protest the Republican proposals for the budget.
The group under scrutiny is an affiliation of Washington D.C. based nuns called Network. While the timing really looks like an act of defiance, the group said the protest tour is simply “continuing the work on poverty and economic injustice that has been its focus for 40 years.” Executive director Sister Simone Campbell says, “We’re doing this because of what’s happening on the Hill.”
This isn’t the first time politics have sparked tension between the Network nuns and the Catholic establishment. The New York Times notes that in the healthcare reform debates of 2010, “American bishops came out in opposition to the health plan, but dozens of sisters, many of whom belong to the Leadership Conference, signed a statement supporting it — support that provided crucial cover for the Obama administration in the battle over health care.”
The “disobedient” nuns are further angering the Vatican by protesting the GOP’s budget proposals, which they see as cutting off critical support to those in need. What’s more, the rift is highlighting a disagreement on which values are Christ-like and which aren’t. The nuns are attracting support from Catholics, pulling loyalty away from the Vatican.
The AP quotes one churchgoer who describes the nuns as “women of courage” and says, “they [the Vatican] want to bully these nuns and shut them down and tell them: `Get back in your place, ladies.’ No, it’s not going to be that way anymore.”
With the ranks of the clergy suffering crises of faith and coming out as atheists in record numbers, you’d think the Vatican would want to encourage the nuns, who are at least spreading their message within the context of their faith. But the Vatican has never exactly been quick to embrace change.
June 19, 2012 at 11:54 pm, Denis Tc O'Brien said:
Now the Vatican Powers To Be have turned to harassing the nuns in the USA, I have been following this story for the last 10 days. I have an interest as my aunt has been a good reverend sister for 50 plus years. They are so hurt and demoralised by a group of old celibates who are autocractic and out of touch with reality.
June 20, 2012 at 12:16 am, Nicole Ob said:
Don't worry dennis myself and my grandad where just talking about in the near future there will more than likely be no vatican no catholic leaders as there is not enough young people willing to keep it going and join,the vatican has ruined itself by dictating and covering up everything so young people have a really bad view on it, maybe it would be better if the nuns take over the whole thing as they are in it for religious reasons and not power
rant over
June 29, 2012 at 5:51 pm, Rosemary Rosenthal said:
There are plenty of young people willing to keep it going!
June 19, 2012 at 11:54 pm, Denis Tc O'Brien said:
Now the Vatican Powers To Be have turned to harassing the nuns in the USA, I have been following this story for the last 10 days. I have an interest as my aunt has been a good reverend sister for 50 plus years. They are so hurt and demoralised by a group of old celibates who are autocractic and out of touch with reality.
June 20, 2012 at 9:42 pm, Gerry Klinglesmith said:
Thank you to the good nuns for standing up for what they believe as they taught their students to do for many years now.
June 21, 2012 at 12:52 am, Virginia Johnson said:
Go.Sisters,go!
September 09, 2012 at 12:07 am, Brian L. Hallisy Sr. said:
we in the Knights of Columbus and the "Right Hand of the Church" are behind the Vatican and the USCCB 100% and believe that ALL devout Catholics including priests and religious (Nuns and Religious Orders) should be in complete fellowship and in-line with the teachings and canons of our great Apostolic and Universal Church.
September 09, 2012 at 12:12 am, Brian L. Hallisy Sr. said:
To see a religious order and in this case a radical group of feminist nuns to take their vows and then to throw them aside and to lead everyone down the wrong path is so sad. I hope that the Vatican will rein in the cardinals and like parents in a family setting will deal with this problem and correct it immediately before more people stray.
September 09, 2012 at 3:16 pm, Liz Kamenar said:
These so-called Catholic nuns have been rebuked by the Vatican. There is no connection between Christianity and the promotion of socialism. Socialism includes the forcible taking of other people’s money to spread around for personal expenses of others, in other words it is theft. The last time I looked stealing is prohibited by one of the Commandments. This “legalized theft” by the socialist pigs is used primarily to get votes in order to have total power over other people’s lives, in other words, it results in the LOSS of liberty and freedom. Socialism is theft at the point of a gun by a totalitarian regime. This is in direct contradiction to the teachings of real Christian charity which is voluntary and from an individual’s heart. There is nothing in the scriptures about a political intermediary government that forcibly collects money to “help the poor.” So these “Nuts” on the bus are ignorant and think they are doing “God’s work” by being politically active for all the wrong and un-Christian reasons. WHY don’t they try being Catholic nuns and raise money for charities to help the poor? Could it be they wouldn’t get publicity or be invited to speak at a Democrat National Convention that supports socialism and Godlessness? Just like the so-called Rev. Wright, these so-called nuns are believers in LIBERATION THEOLOGY which is the Leftists hijacking of Christianity (deceiving good-hearted Christians) for their own political purposes. Of course they don’t hijack ALL of Christianity; they cherry pick what fits their political agenda. That’s why they can talk out one side of their mouth and say “What would Jesus do?” and tug at your heart strings BUT out of the other side of their mouth they promote abortion and homosexual “marriage.” Obama and his supporters like these “Nuts” on the bus are well on their way to convincing uneducated and naïve Americans that the way to “prosperity” is doing what Hugo Chavez did to Venezuela.
October 26, 2012 at 3:28 pm, Eric Schneider said:
I didn't see Love Thy Neighbor as thyself or If you have two coats give one to your brother who as none in the GOP platform. Your definition of socialism is not correct. Look it up. Who is uneducated here?
September 11, 2012 at 8:36 pm, Brian L. Hallisy Sr. said:
It is very sad to see people writing in saying this like Thanks for the nuns and Go sisters…. These nuns are breaking their vows and their faith. It is just like if you are in a business and as an employee of that business you sign an agreement to follow its principles and practices and then you decided on your own or with a few others to break away and go do something else. Do you think that business will keep you or let you go? That is what the Vatican and our Cardinals need to look at. There is enough confusion in this world and people running everywhere on their own. Faith give us some rigidity and these nuns are causing a lot of confusion and need to be reined in and reminded of their vows they took. If they want to leave then let them. Then they could speak their mind but when they do so as a nun representing the church then that is disobedience and being subordinate to their order and the church.
March 05, 2013 at 12:53 am, Shar Voz said:
where in the Bible does it tell you to take from the rich and give to the poor, were told to give and help the poor, not by government force to only some.
March 05, 2013 at 12:53 am, Shar Voz said:
where in the Bible does it tell you to take from the rich and give to the poor, were told to give and help the poor, not by government force to only some.
March 05, 2013 at 12:58 am, Shar Voz said:
my husband and I are poor and we give from our hearts, never would I be jealous of someones wealth and think I have the right to have some of what somebody else had work for.
March 05, 2013 at 12:59 am, Shar Voz said:
I don't think the Sister are bad, just badly mislead!
March 05, 2013 at 1:57 am, Shar Voz said:
We don't get to use the Catholic Church to promote our own agenda, were called to be obedient to our Holy Teachers, were Catholic by choice.