San Francisco editorial calls CDF's move on LCWR 'fiasco'

Calling the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's current reform directive for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious a “fiasco” and accusing the CDF of “bully” tactics, an April 27 opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle charges that “church leaders refuse to dialogue” and that it “is becoming increasingly obvious to many Catholics that these 'men only' club members are not in control, are not relevant and have lost their moral authority.”

Tilted “U.S. nuns group deserves support,” the commentary is written by Brian Cahill, the retired executive director of San Francisco Catholic Charities who served in that post when now-Cardinal William Levada was archbishop there. Levada heads the CDF.

Wrote Cahill, “Those of us who stay in the church, in spite of the arrogance, disrespect, paternalism and hypocrisy, do so because these bishops do not get in the way of our relationship with God and our ability to pray and worship. When we get angry and frustrated, as we often do, we can call upon the words of the great Catholic theologian Hans Kung, who wrote, 'As members of this community, we ourselves are the Church, and should not confuse it with its machinery and administrators, still less leave the latter to shape the community'."

Cahill does not believe the CDF will actually “work collaboratively” with LCWR leaders as the
document outlining curial concerns about the LCWR states.

“The sisters know, as most Catholics know, that this effort is not pastoral and it is not collaborative. The word 'bully' comes to mind,” he wrote.