The new pope has reaffirmed his predecessor’s harsh criticisms of the group that represents 80% of the nuns in the United States:
“The Vatican last year said in its doctrinal assessment that the nuns’ group was tinged with feminist influences, focused too much on ending social and economic injustice and not enough on stopping abortion, and permitted speakers at its meetings who questioned church doctrine.” –The New York Times
Many had hoped Pope Francis’ humble acts of washing the feet of AIDs patients and of women implied that he believed those people were worthy of being treated equally. Now some are left with the impression that the new pope will remain humble only so long as his inferiors stay in their place.
It is an old trick. Men can seem humble in a patriarchal hierarchy because the system does the oppression for them. Likewise, it is easy to affect a life of poverty while buttressed by one of the richest organizations in the world. A structure based on superstition can claim to be open to science so long as the discussion is never turned toward that group’s own prescientific worldviews.
Link to NY Times story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/us/pope-upholds-reprimand-of-nuns-group.html?_r=0