ST. LOUIS, Missouri, AUG. 6, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) will begin their annual assembly in St. Louis on Tuesday. The participants are set to discuss the call for reform made by the Holy See earlier this year.
In April, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) appointed Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle to head an initiative meant to assist in the reform of the LCWR after the CDF released a “Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.”
The document listed a number of matters of concern. It noted that addresses given at LCWR assemblies contained serious theological and doctrinal errors. Letters sent to the CDF from “Leadership Teams” of various Congregations, including LCWR officers, on matters such as women priests and homosexuality were not in agreement with Church teachings.
The assessment also noted that some of the presentations and programs sponsored by the LCWR contained a certain radical feminism.
The National Catholic Register reported that although Archbishop Sartain had offered to attend the conference, members of the LCWR had told Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the US bishops’ conference, that his “presence would not be helpful.”
