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December 17, 2014

Vatican seeks to bury the hatchet with American nuns

Sister Sharon Holland, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, second from left, receives applause after speaking at a Dec. 16 Vatican press conference for release of the final report of a Vatican-ordered investigation of U.S. communit ies of women religious. From left are: Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Sister Holland; Sister Agnes Mary Donovan, coordinator of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious; and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. The 5,000 word report summarizes problems and challenges the women see in their communities and thanks them for their service. The visitation was carried out between 2009 and 2012.

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican ended a six-year inquiry into U.S. nuns with a report designed to bury their differences and celebrate their contribution to the Catholic Church.

Published in Vatican
November 25, 2014

Church launches Year for Consecrated Life

Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, was scheduled to celebrate the year's opening Mass for the Year for Consecrated Life Nov. 30 in St. Peter's Basilica.

VATICAN CITY - The first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, marking the start of the new liturgical year, will also inaugurate the Year for Consecrated Life.

Published in Vatican
June 24, 2014

Legionaries of Christ to receive Vatican-appointed advisor

Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionaries of Christ, speaks at a conference in Madrid, Spain, in this photo dated Oct. 6, 2001.

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican will name a special "assistant" to advise the leadership of the troubled Legionaries of Christ, whose revised constitutions Pope Francis has still not approved four months after they were submitted to him.

Published in International
May 7, 2013

Vatican says its congregations collaborate, including on LCWR decision

Franciscan Sister Florence Deacon (center), president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, is joined by Sister Carol Zinn (left), a Sister of St. Joseph, and past president Franciscan Sister Pat Farre ll in a file photo marked Aug 10, 2012. A statement issued by the Vatican May 7 said the doctrinal congregation and the congregation for religious "have for some time been collaborating on a renewed theological vision of religious life in the church."

VATICAN CITY - Two days after the head of the Vatican office overseeing religious life said he had not been consulted by the Vatican's doctrinal office about a controversial investigation of American nuns, the two bodies affirmed their "common commitment" to reform of the U.S.-based Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

Published in International