Leadership Conference of Women Religious
In a secular age, some young Americans still choose religious life
By Elizabeth E. Evans — January 2, 2024
(RNS) — While the numbers of priests and nuns have declined in recent decades, many millennials and Gen Zers still find a calling to religious life in the Catholic Church, even if the path to discernment has changed.
At nine years, Pope Francis channels the spirit of Catholic sisters
By Mary J. Novak — March 10, 2022
(RNS) — His actions and words mirror the unfailing relational lens Catholic sisters bring to all of their ministries.
Breaking silence, US nuns say Vatican probe cleared up confusion, reinforced their mission
By David Gibson — May 15, 2015
(RNS) After a monthlong media blackout, U.S. nuns are talking about the Vatican investigation that ended abruptly last month. Just don't call it a "win."
TIMELINE: The long and contentious duel between Rome and American nuns
By David Gibson — April 16, 2015
(RNS) Starting in 2008, the Vatican wanted to make sure American nuns were toeing the line. That inquiry ended Thursday.
Vatican ends controversial investigation of US nuns with olive branch
By David Gibson — April 16, 2015
(RNS) The statement and final report seemed to represent a quiet and merciful end to what had been a noisy showdown between Rome and the nuns -- and one the Vatican never seemed likely to win.
The Vatican vs. the nuns: 3 takeaways from Tuesday’s report
By David Gibson — December 16, 2014
(RNS) The "War on Women" is over, and other conclusions from the Vatican investigation of women’s religious communities in the U.S.
Vatican seeks to bury the hatchet with American nuns
By Josephine McKenna — December 16, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The report did not say how many of America’s 50,000 nuns or religious institutes declined to respond to questionnaires.
Declining number of U.S. nuns, even among traditional orders, charted in new study
By David Gibson — October 13, 2014
(RNS) The more liberal, socially active communities of sisters are drawing about the same number of new entrants as the more conservative, tradition-minded communities: very few.
Nuns to pope: Revoke 15th-century doctrine that allows Christians to seize native land
By Renée K. Gadoua — September 9, 2014
(RNS) By revoking these papal bulls, the signers said, “all will know that today’s world is different from that of the 15th century as we move away from patterns of domination and dehumanization,” the resolution says.
New ‘Nuns on the Bus’ tour to tackle political ‘dark money’
By David Gibson — September 8, 2014
(RNS) It’s the Catholic sisters versus the Koch brothers. That’s one way to look at the upcoming tour of the “Nuns of the Bus” crew, which hits the road next week for the third time in three years, a monthlong trip though 10 key Senate battleground states to campaign against the influence of outside money on politics.
Vatican’s doctrinal chief renews criticism of US nuns, says he’s no misogynist
By David Gibson — September 2, 2014
(RNS) " ... We don’t want to gobble up a woman a day!” Cardinal Gerhard Mueller told L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s semiofficial newspaper, in the edition published on Monday (Sept. 1).
Sister Elizabeth Johnson: ‘The waste of time on this investigation is unconscionable’
By Heidi Hall — August 16, 2014
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a theology professor at Fordham University, accepted a top award from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and then lambasted U.S. Catholic bishops saying its investigation of the nuns was wasteful.
US nuns to honor feminist theologian while keeping politics at bay
By Heidi Hall — August 15, 2014
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) A top Vatican official warned the nuns in April that honoring Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a longtime Fordham University professor, would be considered provoking the Holy See and U.S. bishops.
Cardinal seeks a truce in fight between U.S. nuns and Vatican’s doctrinal office
By Josephine McKenna — May 20, 2014
VATICAN CITY (RNS) While the Vatican's investigation into American nuns falls under the doctrinal office, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz's congregation on religious orders is seen as more sympathetic to the sisters and has tried to serve as a peace broker in the standoff.
Nuns say they will continue dialogue despite Vatican criticisms
By David Gibson — May 9, 2014
(RNS) Representatives of most of the 50,000 sisters in the U.S. flatly rejected the charges by Cardinal Gerhard Mueller but said their conversation “was constructive in its frankness and lack of ambiguity.”
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