Sounds like a Catholic version of 'Star Wars'

[Are_grits_groceries]

VATICAN CENSURES NUNS; SISTERS STRIKE BACK

The membership of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious comprises about 80% of the 57,000 nuns in the United States, and they're sticking it to the Vatican.

It didn't have to be this way. Until April, America's nuns were minding their own business, feeding the poor, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless; all of the good things that nuns are wont to do while their male counterparts are misbehaving. Then the Vatican labeled them "radical feminists" and accused them of "serious doctrinal" malfeasance, and announced it would send a team of high-powered, manly bishops to put the little ladies in their place.
<snip>
Too much charity, in other words, and not enough sanctimony. To rectify the imbalance, the Vatican announced it would send three doctrinally secure bishops to overhaul the nuns' policies, rejigger their hierarchy, approve speakers at their meetings, and generally dictate their behavior for a period of up to five years.

Now, after a month of silence, the nuns have said: No.

From Friday's Times:
After three days of discussion and prayer in Washington this week, the 21 national board members of the group decided they could not accept the Vatican’s verdict, and would send their president and executive director to Rome on June 12 to open a dialogue with Vatican officials.
<snip>
http://www.towleroad.com/2012/06/vatican-censures-nuns-nuns-strike-back.html

The Pope will probably blame their attitude on the butler.
The Vatican probably had to look up a definition of the word NO.
The Sisters ain't playin'.

First they have to find 3 'doctrinally secure bishops.' Too bad they are using the doctrine of Queen Mary.

[Suich]

1. One of those "doctrinally secure (arch)bishops" is from Seattle,

and he doesn't approve of same-sex marriage.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/seattle-churches-refuse-petition-reverse-gay-marriage-law/story?id=16140654#.T8vOlMU6LIU

Like I said before, don't f**k with the sisters!

[Siwsan]

2. Nuns have, apparently, evolved since my childhood exposure to them

Most of the nuns at the school I attended, for 8 painful years, were of Irish ancestry. I referred to them as 'God's Terrorists'. I admit there was one or two who were lovely women, but the vast majority were bitter and somewhat twisted. Physical abuse was not unusual and emotional abuse was a daily event.

I went to a school reunion, once, and was talking to a classmate when someone mentioned that 'Sister Francis' was there. We both looked at each other and asked if the hair on the back of the other's neck had just risen. We went out of our way to avoid her. That painful memories were that fresh.

Maybe getting rid of those hidious and very uncomfortable looking habits made a difference. Going through life wearing that kind of cloth shackle would make anyone extremely cranky.

[hedgehog]

3. From your reference to the habit, I would conclude you are describing a pre-Vatican II

parish school.

Several factors were in play. Those Sisters took the children of European peasants and drilled them in the rudiments of middle class manners and the work habits needed to succeed in business. That's why so many Catholics end up with college educations today! Often, they were dealing with classrooms of 40, 50 or 60 children! Both sisters and families came from Old World cultures that expected physical discipline of children. I think many convents preserved these attitudes even as families assimilated and evolved.

Another factor was the convent lifestyle of the time. Often the sisters were sleep deprived - they were working full time jobs as teachers but expected to maintain the prayer life of a cloistered nun. The sisters themselves were treated like criminals on parole. They couldn't leave the convent without another sister as chaperon,often they couldn't visit their own families for special occasions or holidays. They were expected to obey the local priest without question, and often ended up doing the drudge work. They gave up everything when they entered the convent, including their own name. Some chose their new name, others had it chosen for them! Some really did not want to enter a convent, but felt pressured to do so as a higher offering to God! Other women entered the convent not because they had a vocation, but because they had no where else to go.

Following Vatican II, the sisters studied the documents and went back and studied the founding documents of their various orders. At the same time, many more opportunities opened up for women outside the convent. Many women left, typically with the blessing and good wishes of those who stayed. Those who stayed were living a more adult life with greater personal responsibility. I've found these women to be in general very happy and very interesting people.

It's fascinating to read the comments on the sisters on various blogs. Traditionalists wax poetic over the habit that conceals the women's bodies while de-sexualizing and infantilizing them. Nothing is cuter to some Traditionalists than a photo of sister in full habit trying to play basketball or some such! At the same time, they mock the women in civilian clothing as looking like old social workers!

[Siwsan]

5. Nope - these nuns wore habits well into the 70's

I knew some who wore them for their entire clerical life. In fact, one who helped with my father, who died in 1999, still wore a modified habit, but a habit, none the less, including the head gear.

[lovuian]

4. Girls want a place at the table

I think the Pope is going to get an earful of where women in the Catholic Church
wnat their rights