Nuns not so naïve

I read The Catholic Register article accusing 30 women’s religious congregations in Canada of being “naïve” for writing a letter about Gaza to Prime Minister Mark Carney, with a mix of shock and amusement.

The letter signed by Congregational leaders decried the “desperate” situation in Gaza, called for increased humanitarian aid, and “an immediate ceasefire followed by negotiations to bring this violence and suffering to an end.” It is shocking because the situation the sisters describe has been well-documented by major independent major newspapers, which the article dismissed, as well as by respected human rights organizations, independent observers and people on the ground whose verified images come to our phones.

Curiously, it is the sisters who seem to provoke such a vitriolic response from the writer, when in fact they are simply repeating the same plea made by Pope Francis, and now by Pope Leo XIV, for an immediate ceasefire in the region and the free flow of aid. This plea has been echoed by religious leaders and people all over the world.

Naive is not a word that I would associate with women religious congregations whom I have met in the most remote corners of the world. They run hospitals, build and manage schools for thousands of students, lead research centres, and know how best to do the work the Gospels call us to do. It is the Congregations of Religious Sisters who have repeatedly responded generously to appeals for emergency support in places such as Ukraine, Haiti, and South Sudan. They have also supported the development of NGOs such as Canadian Jesuits International, who work in in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Perhaps more than others, they understand what it means to live among people on the margins, who suffer war, poverty and violence.

The author of the article would benefit from familiarizing herself with the prophetic work of women religious sisters.

Jenny Cafiso,
Toronto, ON