Cardinal Gerhard Mueller Cracks Down on Feminist U.S. Nuns
Cardinal Gerhard Mueller has reprimanded officers of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious for their unwillingness to cooperate as they move forward with their plans to honor feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson who had been previously criticized by U.S. bishops.
Elizabeth Johnson is a professor of theology at New York's Fordham University. In 2011, her popular book, "Quest for the Living God," was publicly denounced by the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops later released a statement saying that the text reaches many "theologically unacceptable" conclusions, according to the Huffington Post.
Cardinal Mueller who was not at all pleased with the LCWR's decision, spoke out about the controversy in a meeting on Wednesday, April 30 with the group's leaders in Rome, reports the Associated Press.
"It saddens me to learn that you have decided to give the Outstanding Leadership Award during this year's Assembly to a theologian criticized by the Bishops of the United States because of the gravity of the doctrinal errors in that theologian's writings. This is a decision that will be seen as a rather open provocation against the Holy See and the Doctrinal Assessment. Not only that, but it further alienates the LCWR from the Bishops as well," he said.
Since Mueller's remarks, it seems that the LCWR and the cardinal have come to a cordial and mutual understanding.
The LCWR released a statement to The Huffington Post that read:
"Archbishop Muller's opening remarks released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith accurately reflect the content of the mandate communicated to LCWR in April 2012. As articulated in the Cardinal's statement, these remarks were meant to set a context for the discussion that followed. The actual interaction with Cardinal Muller and his staff was an experience of dialogue that was respectful and engaging."
Hopefully, this will be the last we hear of the ‘feud' between the LCWR and the bishops.
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