Bullying the nuns

Noted writer and practicing Roman Catholic, Gary Wills, has written an essay in the New York Review of Books (June 7, 2012) about the Vatican's "bullying of the American nuns."   Long critical of them for putting too much time on "the social Gospel" and not enough on the party line from Rome (opposing abortion and gay marriage), the Vatican earlier this year stripped the Leadership Conference of Women Religious of its right to self-governance and appointed a bishop to take charge.  This organization represents about 80% of American nuns.

Wills is scathing in his siding with the nuns and against this take-over.

     "In the Vatican's mind, woman are not capable of governing others or even themselves.  Is it any wonder that so many nuns have left the order . . .  Who wants to be bullied by lofty old men?
     "It is typical of the pope's sense of priorities that, at the very time when he is quashing an independent spirit in the church's women, he is negotiating a welcome back to priests who left the church in protest at the reforms of the Second Vatican Council [which introduced some modernity)] . . . . .
     "All these things , you see, are the work solely of male hierarchs, distrustful of the People of God -- who are the church, as defined by the Second Vatican Council. . . .  The real Gospel must be quashed in the name of the pseudo-Gospel of papal monarchs.   Poor Anne O'Connor [one of Will's beloved nuns] -- she thought caring for the poor was what Jesus wanted.  She did not live to see that what Rome wants is all that matters."

I am not a Roman Catholic but I have long admired the dedicated, unpretentious life of service and humility exhibited by nuns, in contrast to the pomp and riches and arrogance of the bishops and the Vatican.  So I am in complete agreement with Gary Wills, who sees if from inside the Church.

Ralph