But in its most critical passage, Tuesday’s report merely called for the American nuns to “carefully review their spiritual practices and ministry to assure that these are in harmony with Catholic teaching about God, creation, the incarnation and the redemption,” and called for greater dialogue.
This did not entirely lift the cloud cast by the 2012 reprimand from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s watchdog for theological orthodoxy, which put the organisation under a mandate involving close supervision, which continues to this day. But the change in tone in Tuesday’s report may reflect a new and more conciliatory policy under Pope Francis.
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It was made clear during a press conference at the Vatican that individual reports had been drawn up. Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, the head of the Vatican department responsible for religious orders, said his officials would be sending them to “those institutes whose individual reports indicated areas of concern”.
Sister Simone Campbell, the executive director of the Catholic social justice pressure group Network and leader of the Nuns on the Bus project, which tours the US to draw attention to social issues, said the report “reflects the difference that a different pope can make”.
She said: “It was really wonderful to have the document say that religious women, more than most, may understand Pope Francis’s call to care for the poor and marginalised. The invitation to dialogue – I really hope they mean it.”
via Vatican backs down and gives mild rebuke to American nuns | World news | The Guardian.






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