VATICAN INVESTIGATES NUNS

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a group which represents women’s religious orders in the US, is being investigated by the Vatican because of its take on issues such as homosexuality and ordaining women.

It is thought that Vatican is unhappy with the group for not accurately representing the Church’s anti-gay perspective.

The investigation, or “doctrinal assessment”, will investigate the LCWR’s activities and initiatives, according to a letter received by the conference from the Vatican congregation.

The National Catholic Reporter reports that Cardinal William Joseph Levada (the congregation’s prefect) explained in the letter that the congregation is undertaking its “assessment” of the women’s leadership conference after concerns were first expressed in 2001.

He said that the Vatican’s concerns had been renewed by “both the tenor and the doctrinal content of various addresses” given at LCWR meetings.

The LCWR said it was confident going into the investigation, saying it believed it had been faithful to its mission of serving leaders of women’s orders “as they seek to further the mission of Christ in today’s world.”