The Vatican has chided the largest
group representing America's Roman Catholic nuns for not speaking out
strongly enough against gay marriage.
According to USA
Today, the Vatican is pressuring the group to come out
forcefully against marriage equality, abortion and women's
ordination.
In an 8-page statement issued by the
Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) released
Wednesday, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is
accused of being too soft on social issues.
“The current doctrinal and pastoral
situation of the LCWR is grave and a matter of serious concern, also
given the influence the LCWR exercises on religious congregations in
other parts of the world,” the document states.
Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain is
leading the CDF's process of reviewing the LCWR. Sartain is a vocal
opponent of Washington's gay marriage law and has called on parishes
to support the effort to repeal the law before it takes effect.
(Related: Four
Catholic parishes won't back Washington gay marriage repeal.)
The Vatican announcement said that
“crucial” issues such as “the church's biblical view of family
life and human sexuality are not part of the LCWR agenda in a way
that promotes church teaching. Moreover, occasional public
statements by the LCWR that disagree with or challenge positions
taken by the bishops, who are the church's authentic teachers of
faith and morals, are not compatible with its purpose.”