Award Winner

Yesterday I described Sister Elizabeth Johnson’s book “Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love.”   I also mentioned her previous book “Quest for the Living God.”  To my surprise, after reading the article “Stakes are high as LCWR heads into annual assembly” in the August 15-28 National Catholic Reporter, I learned that Johnson was to be honored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious despite being warned by a top Vatican official [Cardinal Gerhard Müller] that honoring her would be considered provoking the Holy See and U.S. Bishops.  

That honoring occurred on August 15 at which time Sister Johnson said, “To this day, no one, not myself or the theological community, the media, or the general public knows what doctrinal issue is at stake.”  LCWR represents about 80 percent of sisters in the United States.

I must admit I’m still trying to understand what’s going on.  It seems in 2011 the Committee on Doctrine of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops concluded her book was not in accordance with official Catholic teaching and “completely undermines the Gospel and the faith of those who believe in that Gospel.” 

Holy mackerel!!   I guess I have to read her book again to find that “undermining.”  I didn’t find it the first time although according to Johnson, “…the book does not say the things the panel claims it does.”

Pushing back at the LCWR conference when accepting its top award, Sister Johnson said, “When the moral authority of the hierarchy is hemorrhaging due to financial scandals and many bishops who…cover up sexual abuse of children, a cover up that continues in some quarters to this day, and thousands are drifting away from the church…the waste of time on this investigation [into LCWR] is unconscionable.” 

This ongoing back and forth duel of minds and hearts with accusations of all sorts bears watching.  If not for the seriousness of the issue and implications for the sisters’ LCWR, and the Vatican I suggest, it would all be entertaining.  It’s not, not at all. 

Deacon David Pierce