WE CELEBRATED MASS WITH THE PAPAL NUNCIO, AS LCWR AND CDF MET IN ROME
June 12, 2012, Washington, DC -- Early this morning, the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano and members of the Solidarity with Sisters organizing committee joined in celebration of the Eucharist, offering shared prayer as LCWR and the CDF meet today. During conversation in the Embassy after our rally on May 29, 2012, Archbishop Vigano had accepted our letter to Pope Benedict XVI asking for withdrawal of the CDF mandate.
Although scheduled to travel at noon, the Papal Nuncio graciously made time for an early Mass with us. Consistent with his message to us on May 29, the opening song prayed “that all Thy Church might be forever one… one with Thy saints in one unbroken peace, One with Thy saints in one unbounded love….” He invited Linda Donaldson to read the beautifully apt story of God’s providence during a time of famine to Elijah, the widow and her son (1Kings 17:7-16):
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose….
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'”
The psalm called us to “Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful one.” (Psalm 4:2-8) He invited Judy Sholes to read the petitions, rich in meaning. We stood together in hope as one Church.
With charming graciousness, after Mass he showed us the Embassy’s inner courtyard, where the fountain’s central pineapple sculpture represents welcome and hospitality; it seemed to us like another facet of his care about Church unity. Our experience of Archbishop Vigano has consistently been animated by the attitude of dialog (rather than confrontation) that LCWR former president Sister Pat Farrell advocated in her June 1 interview, and that LCWR demonstrated in its outreach to CDF that led to today’s meeting in Rome.
We are using our website to learn what dialogue entails and how it can transform our Church.
We continue to pray for God’s living Spirit to enable Church officials to embrace LCWR and U.S. Catholic Sisters as the genuine, respected, and beloved leaders that they are - women whose "product identity" [Cardinal Levada's phrase] is profoundly expressed in lives of faithful hope, love, and service.
Although scheduled to travel at noon, the Papal Nuncio graciously made time for an early Mass with us. Consistent with his message to us on May 29, the opening song prayed “that all Thy Church might be forever one… one with Thy saints in one unbroken peace, One with Thy saints in one unbounded love….” He invited Linda Donaldson to read the beautifully apt story of God’s providence during a time of famine to Elijah, the widow and her son (1Kings 17:7-16):
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose….
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'”
The psalm called us to “Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful one.” (Psalm 4:2-8) He invited Judy Sholes to read the petitions, rich in meaning. We stood together in hope as one Church.
With charming graciousness, after Mass he showed us the Embassy’s inner courtyard, where the fountain’s central pineapple sculpture represents welcome and hospitality; it seemed to us like another facet of his care about Church unity. Our experience of Archbishop Vigano has consistently been animated by the attitude of dialog (rather than confrontation) that LCWR former president Sister Pat Farrell advocated in her June 1 interview, and that LCWR demonstrated in its outreach to CDF that led to today’s meeting in Rome.
We are using our website to learn what dialogue entails and how it can transform our Church.
We continue to pray for God’s living Spirit to enable Church officials to embrace LCWR and U.S. Catholic Sisters as the genuine, respected, and beloved leaders that they are - women whose "product identity" [Cardinal Levada's phrase] is profoundly expressed in lives of faithful hope, love, and service.
