Vatican Thinks America Has Naughty Nuns
Posted by: Justine Fields
Filed in:
news
2:50PM, Thursday July 2nd 2009
Nuns across America are not very happy with the Vatican. And since nobody likes an unhappy nun, this story is troublesome for me to report. It seems that nuns have been branching out into the community, not wearing their religious garb, choosing to live independently and are joining new professions like political advocacy and academia. In response to this trend, Cardinal Franc Rode, who oversees all religious orders, launched two investigations of nuns across the United States. He doesn’t like how they’ve “opted for ways to take them outside” the church.
It’s true that nuns separating from the church has indeed been on the rise. Today there are 60,000 nuns versus the 180,000 who were around in 1965. But instead of treasuring those current sisters, the Vatican is potentially punishing them for giving time to the community. According to Mother Mary Clare Millea, the Vativan representative in charge of conducting the investigation, “It’s an opportunity for us to re-evaluate ourselves, to make our reality known and also to be challenged to live authentically who we say we are.” But to many sisters across the nation, the investigators area simply “uninvited guests.” [NY Times]
TheFrisky.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network
Sonic
wrote on July 2 2009 @ 03:03 pm: [report]
Holy Batman, Vatican! I’m sure glad you’re taking these naughty, UN-habited nuns to task when you could be wasthing your time condemning the child molestation by Catholic institutions in Ireland or any other number of issues.
retro chic
wrote on July 2 2009 @ 03:22 pm: [report]
Oh, Nuns, yikes. The Vatican may want to choose their battles more carefully. But, that’s what nuns get for ratting out their robed brethren—The Vatican has no use for empowered women. “Treason. Let’s make an example of them!”
writergirl
wrote on July 2 2009 @ 04:53 pm: [report]
They weren’t wearing habits when I was in school—well, some of them…and the younger ones actually wore lipstick.
So what’s the big deal? THe fact that they are working within the community? Shock! Gasp! Horrible jezebels!
alleigh25
wrote on July 2 2009 @ 05:54 pm: [report]
I remember when I was little my grandparents were friends with a nun who didn’t wear a habit. I, being about 4 and not Catholic, had no idea she was a nun until years later. That was interesting.
But…really. Doesn’t the Vatican have more important things to worry about?
vaiaster
wrote on July 2 2009 @ 07:45 pm: [report]
As someone who left a religious community years ago (after only two weeks) and is now married, I thought the Church wished to have more vocations, not less.
And I agree: I thought the point of being a nun was to work with the community; to get out there and be known and heard. Now there are becoming chastised because of it?
Hmm. No wonder I left the religious community. Well, that, and I enjoy sex.
Chebs
wrote on July 3 2009 @ 04:45 am: [report]
@Sonic - Those were my thoughts exactly! I guess the nuns are just doing it wrong - the Vatican would much prefer them to be molesting children than out doing good in the world.
Lynn
wrote on July 6 2009 @ 08:59 am: [report]
Hmmmm. I get it when a religious community wants their members to follow “the rules” and be really devoted, but I think the Vatican has to get a reality check. Maybe these “naughty nuns” aren’t the perfect picture of what they want nuns to be, but there is a serious nun and priest shortage right now. If the Vatican doesn’t get hip, and quick, they’re not going to have naughty nuns anymore - because there will be no nuns left.