Comments by Online Co-Signers of Letter to Pope Benedict XVI
645 people signed through Change.org, and 101 of them added comments:
The Vatican needs to change its attitude toward women in general and to women religious in particular.
I seek to extend my love to those hurt by the church leadership and to call the leadership to a deeper understanding of the need to act in kindness so as to build trust and love in those they seek to lead under the watchful gaze of the Holy Spirit.
Bless Sister Marie Bernard for teaching me how to diagram sentences!
I stand with the sisters and the Church, the People of God, in building with love the Kingdom here, now.
As a religious Sister, I want to stand in solidarity with my American Sisters and with all those who both understand and appreciate our desire to truly serve Christ through our lives with all the people.
These are my sisters in the Spirit!
I refuse to be complicit in the actions of the CDF. We are all the Church, so we must speak out.
In solidarity with my sisters in faith.
Sisters are witnesses to God's love. They challenge us, lead by example, and are full of God's light. Their courage is surely blessed and inspired by God.
This is yet another example of the denigration of women (both sisters and women in general) in the Church.
We cannot remain silent if we hope to bring about justice and change. The sisters were there for us; it is time for us to be there for them.
All women need to be valued as equal partners in the Church and recognized for their special gifts.
I remember the Nuns from Religious education.
American women religious are following in Jesus' steps and doing what he said to do: take care of poor people, feed the hungry, nurse and heal the sick, be there with those who seek justice. They are following the Holy Spirit already.
This action against the LCWR (of all people!) seemed incredibly fear-based--and afraid of what? of basically Gospel-inspired good works because they lack political correctness in the eyes of some?
Women religious live the gospel message daily by being true "servants" to all God's people. Their lives and their sacrifices need to be respected, celebrated and appreciated not questioned and diminished.
Church leadership needs to be more accepting and tolerant of the whole body of the Church...male and female. Work through the Holy Spirit and Jesus , not despite them.
I am in 100% agreement with this petition.
The woman I am today is because of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. This is about respect and gratitude for all they have given up for others.
To protect the human dignity of all of us and to promote the Gospel message in the emerging church.
It is because of the good Sisters of the Holy Name, that I am the Christian, I am today.
I am signing this because I believe it is the hour of grace to which the Church is called to recognize women as full partners in Baptism and the full sacramental life of the Church. In God there is neither male nor female - why the great divisions in his image on earth?
Of all the concerns to investigate within the global Church, the LCWR should be the least of the Vatican's concerns. Why not investigate irresponsible bishops who protected pedophiles, or look into the ongoing abuse of women [both religious and laity] by African priests and bishops? Why is the CDF persecuting those who serve wholeheartedly rather than the many careerists within the clergy and hierarchy? The action of the CDF against LCWR seems to be part of a larger power game. Enough Already!
I sign this with respect and admiration for all of the sisters who taught me, and for those who serve with a humble and loving spirit. Thank you to all Columban Sisters, Daughters of Charity, and Dominican Sisters...for putting up with me in school, and while I was a teacher, and for never giving up. They are al true inspirations!
Educated by the Sisters of Mercy and the Dominican Sisters in HS, and by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in college, I am, in part, who I am today because of how I was nurtured by those amazing women. Proudly, I have been teaching [as a lay teacher] with the Sisters of Notre Dame in Japan for the past 26 years, and I hope I myself am able to embody some of what I have learned from my early mentors, and the Japanese and American sisters I deeply respect here in Japan.
This witch hunt reminds me of the Army-McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. To Rome: "Have you no shame!?"
Justice for our sisters! Conscience, not arbitrary power plays.
My Sisters are the truest sign of the love of God to me. They are one of the shining lights of the church in the world today. THANK THEM!!!!
My life was saved by the love and skill of counseling Sisters. Their love brought me to the Church. Surely, the Church cannot condemn the work of women who carry out the mandate of Christ to "love one another as I have loved you."
It is time the Church leadership recognizes and truly respects the power of women .
What the Church most needs right now is positive, not negative spiritual energy.
To support sisters of all faiths in solidarity
Sisters are the moral backbone of the Catholic Church.
I am associate member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) community. These women are some of the most loving, spirit-filled, and committed people I know -- religious in the highest sense of the word. I have the utmost respect for them and the work they do. Please withdraw the CDF mandate and restore open conversation within our church.
The need to support wonderful women doing amazing and loving work. Time for us all to support, not divide
In solidarity of support for the Catholic Sisters and the work they perform.
Because I had wonderful grammar school teachers (Sisters of St. Joseph and Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and because I believe in equal status of women in civil, religious and personal dominions. My hero, Abraham Lincoln, should have said, "All men and women are created equal."
I have little hope that the pope and those around him, blinded by their power and "righteous" attitude, will move one inch on this issue. I sign in the light of the one ray in the darkness.
It is time for us all, men and women, to speak up and support our Sisters as they have served Americans so well, no matter what ones race, religion, sexual preference, social status, or health. Christ sees and loves us all as equals, and the Sisters live this truth. It is time the Vatican does the same.
We are called to work for justice and give witness to God's presence among us. The way in which so many sisters live out those charges in their daily lives is humbling, inspiring and truly evidence of the Kingdom of God on earth. By signing this letter, I affirm my faith in the presence of God in works of mercy and acts of love.
Catholic women: Boycott the church; cease to contribute. - Firm in my belief that the hierarchy responds more to money than to the Holy Spirit, I no longer support my parish, since a portion of that money goes to the archdiocese. Instead I now send my offertory collection to women's religious order, who do more to imitate Christ than all the priests in Rome.
Women religious, living the words of the Gospel, have built the Church in the United States through education, nursing and social work. How dare you decide that this work is not relevant in today's world!
For all the women religious who are serving our community and who have touched our lives. In particular, for the amazing sisters who taught in our school of nursing and who laid the foundation for careers of service for so many.
I sign this petition in the hope that this mandate will be withdrawn and expunged from the record books. Three of my aunts are nuns, who have shone the light of Jesus' love and service in Australia and Scotland, but also in some of the most dangerous and least desirable places on earth. such as apartheid-era South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Eritrea during the civil war, and a refugee camp for Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines. I only hope that once in my life I am able to exhibit the same level of Jesus' message and love as these ladies, and nuns the world over, have shown during their lives of service and devotion to God. I sign this petition in their name and the names of all nuns who have given so much for God in every part of the world, and here in the United States as well. I pray the Holy Spirit guides the hearts of the Curia in this matter.
I sign this because I am appalled at the actions taken by the Vatican. As a lifelong and devoted Catholic, I cannot sit by and watch, what I can only call evil, this unholy attack upon the women religious who have served the people of God over the decades.
A thank you to the devoted sisters who did so much for me in my life.
To recognize and thank the sisters who educated our children.
I support the sisters unequivocally.
The Church will not survive if it continues to alienate its faithful women!
To support our Sister and Nuns!
Love in action is our calling, not bureaucratic reaction.
I was taught for 12 years by the Sisters of the Holy Name as well as being a member of an Affiliate of the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and deeply respect the work that they do not and have done.
The nuns are the backbone of our Church's social justice policy and the way they have been treated is at the very least UNJUST!
The overwhelming message of Jesus was one of compassion. There is no greater face of compassion in our church than that given by the works of the sisters. In the real world they have had to face the realities of life, death and mercy issues in a mature spiritual way. They are the real teachers of the church. To censure them belittles the Body of Christ on earth.
Every Christian is required to pursue justice at all times, and this action against women doing the Works of Mercy is a great INjustice. It must be revoked!
The sisters taught me about God's love and what it means to be Catholic when I was young. Today they give me the example of what it means to be Catholic by service to the poor and oppressed and valuing all life. They show me how to be a Catholic woman in today's world.
I encourage each person who is affected by this situation to listen deeply for the voice of the Spirit.
I honor and appreciate the prophetic witness of Catholic religious women and their commitment to follow Jesus and the commandment to love our neighbor.
My prayer is the Pope will have a greater respect and appreciation of the community of sisters here in America and respect the intelligence of and commitment of American Catholics.
A church that says it is committed to work for Justice and "Religious Freedom", must be a JUST church that ensures the freedom of its members and the indwelling of the Spirit in ALL members of the body or our preaching is empty and useless.
Catholic sisters welcomed me and taught me about faith, and about teaching, even though I am not Catholic. I am grateful for their witness and faith. The church is broader than the Vatican's borders and the sisters are at the center with Christ.
The family I married into was full of nuns: bright, shiny, funny, compassionate women who chose to devote themselves wholeheartedly to Christ. To not value their lives and their leadership, to indicate that they have not fully and prayerfully created a path in community for good and must be regulated is to devalue me and all of us who happened to be born women.
Catholic sisters have been my teachers, my mentors, my role models and spiritual advisors all of my life. They are my heroes!
Women religious understand the words of Jesus and ARE CAPABLE of translating these words to action. They have the desire and the capacity to serve others. Honor their work rather than submit it to unnecessary critique.
The sisters have done the work of the church with little thanks. And this investigation only communicates the distrust and dislike of women acting with the independence of the children of God.
The American Sisters and those in LCWR have contributed greatly to the Catholic Church in ministry to the poor, the outcast and have provided schools of education as well as hospitals etc. I stand with the Sisters and their ministry and feel the Vatican should reconsider its ruling on LCWR.
I have great respect for Sisters. They taught from childhood and they are the ones who work in the trenches!!!!
We find it in comprehensible the reprimanding of LCWR , Network and the female religious. These women have been doing the work of the church for centuries, in particular since Vatican II. Being with the poor and marginalized has given them a different perspective, challenging them to focus on the issues that impact the poor like health care. Birth control and homosexuality have not been on the top of their list!..Thank God. We cannot imagine how these dedicated women feel, working their whole life for a church that not only does not appreciate them but condemns them. How ungrateful and hypocritical.
The church’s effort to concentrate on the issues of birth control, which 80% of us practice, homosexuality which in most cases is not a choice and preventing women ordination which is a sin of injustice is missed placed energy that could be used for important issues like poverty, violence, war, and oppression, not to mention holding the bishops guilty in the sex abuse scandal accountable.
For over eighty years nuns of communities "liberal" and "conservative" have shown me what it really means to be a Catholic Christian. Bishops and theologians can endlessly debate the minutia of doctrine, but the sisters show us how to live it.
I have been loved and supported by sisters all my life. I am grateful to them for their teaching and work for justice and peace. I hope they receive that gratitude from the Vatican.
The women of the LCWR are acting as Christ's hands and feet...always have, and I believe always will. Treat them with the respect that you'd give to Christ's hands and feet.
Because the hierarchy is completely out of touch with the laity. I think their current actions are meant to distract us from their own problems, e.g. protecting pedophile priests, covering up corruption in the Vatican, etc.
The mandate is disrespectful of all Catholic women who are capable of forming their own conscience.
Transparency and open discussion welcome the Holy Spirit; fear and oppression block us from receiving the Spirit's grace and gifts.
The Vatican and its Curia have gone WAY over the edge. Time to excommunicate them!
To support a wonderful group of women who live the Gospel message of service to others.
I sign in honor of Sister Mary Edith, my third-grade teacher, and her fellow Sisters of Charity at St. Gregory the Great, who taught me in my youth -- and their colleagues of today. They were what raised me in the faith, and the thought that they need "re-education" by a panel of bishops speaks to just how out-of-touch with the world of today -- the place these women of faith stood in that day and this -- the hierarchy of Catholicism is. I am a faithful Christian to this day, but no longer observing in a Catholic setting, thanks to these women and their pragmatic and honest approach -- and their success in teaching me to think critically for myself while standing firmly on the foundation of my religious upbringing. If she is still alive today, perhaps Sister Edith would come out of her well-deserved retirement for a short while and teach the present-day Church's leadership to open their eyes, as she taught me!
Please respect the lives of service of the American Women Religious
I am signing this petition because I believe the Sisters need more credit in the church! If they were to back out of their ministries (which they wouldn't do to God's people) the church would be in a terrible situation. Let them continue on the path of prayer, peace and justice as they have been doing for many, many years. They are the backbone of the church. When will this be recognized?
I am 78 years old. I have known countless numbers of dedicated, remarkable, gifted and tireless sisters who have ministered to generations of people in every way possible. Without these women, the Catholic church could not have continued to exist. Let the Holy Spirit change your hearts. This conflict is between the power of love and the love of power.
In thanksgiving for the fine education which I received from the sisters over 50 years ago and in support of the wonderful ministry that the sisters are doing now and hopefully in the future.
To support these dedicated women and all women in free speech.
The sisters deserve praise not harassment while the hierarchy ought to re-read Matthew: "...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble. it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." And a scandal you have been, gentlemen...
I know I am late signing, but I am part of a group in Louisville, Kentucky who are totally in Solidarity with Sisters.
To firmly stand in prayer, communion, and community with the women who have stood shoulder to shoulder supporting and serving so many. The mandate is a sign of distrust and the hunger for power. it is not a sign that the church "acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly with our God" nor with its women.
I applaud the commitment of Religious women who have dedicated their lives to the service of the "people of God". They have - and continue to influence our lives in endless ways. I pray that the Vatican "see and hear" the impact of these women on millions of people throughout the world. May the Spirit open their minds and hearts.
Recently, I finished my duties as a Confirmation sponsor to an intelligent and thoughtful 15 year old girl. Through her Confirmation discernment process, she questioned her decision to remain in the Catholic faith - citing an out of touch Catholic hierarchy as part of her reasons. Not being able to contradict these reasons, I was only able to point to the strong women who remain Catholic and live out their faith in spite of the questionable leadership from those "men in charge." The respect of women in this church will only come from those of us who remain Catholic pushing for its recognition. It is for this reason alone, that I hesitantly remain an American Catholic. Please do not let me, and more importantly, this newly initiated adult American Catholic woman down.
The Religious Sisters are faithful to the mandate of Jesus, far more so than the Vatican and the hierarchy.
The sisters have served us so well, the poor, the uneducated, the disenfranchised. Now we are there for them.
I see the Sisters out doing God's work. They completely inspire me by their caring, compassion, dedication and selflessness. I see them as the HOPE for the Church amidst sexual abuse scandals and cover-ups.
Leave the Sisters alone. They are the heart, and hands of Christ to so many people. When I go to my parish Sunday Mass, there are fewer and fewer people in the pews. So sad.
Because the sisters that taught me as a child and the sisters today are cut from the same cloth. They are caring, loving, committed, and shining lights in a church filled with clerics who seem to be only concerned with power and control.
Sisters have worked on life issues tirelessly by building a nurturing environment which all life needs to flourish. They have been living Christ's message and should have our gratitude as living examples of God's Love.
Because the LCWR has been a leader in the Catholic Church helping those in need and practicing Jesus message of love for all and compassion for all. Especially hope that this phony attack by the Vatican and the USCCB will not be successful. I pray for all the Sisters to have courage and to stand firm with the help of the Holy spirit.
I sign this because I believe strongly that the Spirit is calling me and others to respond through both prayer and action at this time to support our Sisters.
I am a sister and have worked to spread the gospel and try to live as Jesus would for the past 74 years. May the spirit continue to guide and direct us and may we be open to these inspirations.
Women, not men, are the backbone of the Church. Women and their views should be more highly valued by the largely male Church leadership. I would love for Church leaders, especially those in Rome, to have a reality check.
The sisters are a model for us all. Who can think of even one U. S. Catholic cleric who is well-known and noted for his humility, compassion and dedication to the poor? One has to look to the sisters for this!
I agree that the "mandate" is inappropriate for the goals sought by all in the name of Christ. We need dialogue and mutual respect. Women Religious deserve this respect. I believe they are being faithful to the Gospel and the deep tradition of our Church.
The sisters are speaking prophetically, following The Holy Spirit, their conscience & their founders way. They are speaking up for the justice issues of the people they serve in our times.
To support the women of the Catholic Church.
I seek to extend my love to those hurt by the church leadership and to call the leadership to a deeper understanding of the need to act in kindness so as to build trust and love in those they seek to lead under the watchful gaze of the Holy Spirit.
Bless Sister Marie Bernard for teaching me how to diagram sentences!
I stand with the sisters and the Church, the People of God, in building with love the Kingdom here, now.
As a religious Sister, I want to stand in solidarity with my American Sisters and with all those who both understand and appreciate our desire to truly serve Christ through our lives with all the people.
These are my sisters in the Spirit!
I refuse to be complicit in the actions of the CDF. We are all the Church, so we must speak out.
In solidarity with my sisters in faith.
Sisters are witnesses to God's love. They challenge us, lead by example, and are full of God's light. Their courage is surely blessed and inspired by God.
This is yet another example of the denigration of women (both sisters and women in general) in the Church.
We cannot remain silent if we hope to bring about justice and change. The sisters were there for us; it is time for us to be there for them.
All women need to be valued as equal partners in the Church and recognized for their special gifts.
I remember the Nuns from Religious education.
American women religious are following in Jesus' steps and doing what he said to do: take care of poor people, feed the hungry, nurse and heal the sick, be there with those who seek justice. They are following the Holy Spirit already.
This action against the LCWR (of all people!) seemed incredibly fear-based--and afraid of what? of basically Gospel-inspired good works because they lack political correctness in the eyes of some?
Women religious live the gospel message daily by being true "servants" to all God's people. Their lives and their sacrifices need to be respected, celebrated and appreciated not questioned and diminished.
Church leadership needs to be more accepting and tolerant of the whole body of the Church...male and female. Work through the Holy Spirit and Jesus , not despite them.
I am in 100% agreement with this petition.
The woman I am today is because of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. This is about respect and gratitude for all they have given up for others.
To protect the human dignity of all of us and to promote the Gospel message in the emerging church.
It is because of the good Sisters of the Holy Name, that I am the Christian, I am today.
I am signing this because I believe it is the hour of grace to which the Church is called to recognize women as full partners in Baptism and the full sacramental life of the Church. In God there is neither male nor female - why the great divisions in his image on earth?
Of all the concerns to investigate within the global Church, the LCWR should be the least of the Vatican's concerns. Why not investigate irresponsible bishops who protected pedophiles, or look into the ongoing abuse of women [both religious and laity] by African priests and bishops? Why is the CDF persecuting those who serve wholeheartedly rather than the many careerists within the clergy and hierarchy? The action of the CDF against LCWR seems to be part of a larger power game. Enough Already!
I sign this with respect and admiration for all of the sisters who taught me, and for those who serve with a humble and loving spirit. Thank you to all Columban Sisters, Daughters of Charity, and Dominican Sisters...for putting up with me in school, and while I was a teacher, and for never giving up. They are al true inspirations!
Educated by the Sisters of Mercy and the Dominican Sisters in HS, and by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in college, I am, in part, who I am today because of how I was nurtured by those amazing women. Proudly, I have been teaching [as a lay teacher] with the Sisters of Notre Dame in Japan for the past 26 years, and I hope I myself am able to embody some of what I have learned from my early mentors, and the Japanese and American sisters I deeply respect here in Japan.
This witch hunt reminds me of the Army-McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. To Rome: "Have you no shame!?"
Justice for our sisters! Conscience, not arbitrary power plays.
My Sisters are the truest sign of the love of God to me. They are one of the shining lights of the church in the world today. THANK THEM!!!!
My life was saved by the love and skill of counseling Sisters. Their love brought me to the Church. Surely, the Church cannot condemn the work of women who carry out the mandate of Christ to "love one another as I have loved you."
It is time the Church leadership recognizes and truly respects the power of women .
What the Church most needs right now is positive, not negative spiritual energy.
To support sisters of all faiths in solidarity
Sisters are the moral backbone of the Catholic Church.
I am associate member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) community. These women are some of the most loving, spirit-filled, and committed people I know -- religious in the highest sense of the word. I have the utmost respect for them and the work they do. Please withdraw the CDF mandate and restore open conversation within our church.
The need to support wonderful women doing amazing and loving work. Time for us all to support, not divide
In solidarity of support for the Catholic Sisters and the work they perform.
Because I had wonderful grammar school teachers (Sisters of St. Joseph and Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and because I believe in equal status of women in civil, religious and personal dominions. My hero, Abraham Lincoln, should have said, "All men and women are created equal."
I have little hope that the pope and those around him, blinded by their power and "righteous" attitude, will move one inch on this issue. I sign in the light of the one ray in the darkness.
It is time for us all, men and women, to speak up and support our Sisters as they have served Americans so well, no matter what ones race, religion, sexual preference, social status, or health. Christ sees and loves us all as equals, and the Sisters live this truth. It is time the Vatican does the same.
We are called to work for justice and give witness to God's presence among us. The way in which so many sisters live out those charges in their daily lives is humbling, inspiring and truly evidence of the Kingdom of God on earth. By signing this letter, I affirm my faith in the presence of God in works of mercy and acts of love.
Catholic women: Boycott the church; cease to contribute. - Firm in my belief that the hierarchy responds more to money than to the Holy Spirit, I no longer support my parish, since a portion of that money goes to the archdiocese. Instead I now send my offertory collection to women's religious order, who do more to imitate Christ than all the priests in Rome.
Women religious, living the words of the Gospel, have built the Church in the United States through education, nursing and social work. How dare you decide that this work is not relevant in today's world!
For all the women religious who are serving our community and who have touched our lives. In particular, for the amazing sisters who taught in our school of nursing and who laid the foundation for careers of service for so many.
I sign this petition in the hope that this mandate will be withdrawn and expunged from the record books. Three of my aunts are nuns, who have shone the light of Jesus' love and service in Australia and Scotland, but also in some of the most dangerous and least desirable places on earth. such as apartheid-era South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Eritrea during the civil war, and a refugee camp for Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines. I only hope that once in my life I am able to exhibit the same level of Jesus' message and love as these ladies, and nuns the world over, have shown during their lives of service and devotion to God. I sign this petition in their name and the names of all nuns who have given so much for God in every part of the world, and here in the United States as well. I pray the Holy Spirit guides the hearts of the Curia in this matter.
I sign this because I am appalled at the actions taken by the Vatican. As a lifelong and devoted Catholic, I cannot sit by and watch, what I can only call evil, this unholy attack upon the women religious who have served the people of God over the decades.
A thank you to the devoted sisters who did so much for me in my life.
To recognize and thank the sisters who educated our children.
I support the sisters unequivocally.
The Church will not survive if it continues to alienate its faithful women!
To support our Sister and Nuns!
Love in action is our calling, not bureaucratic reaction.
I was taught for 12 years by the Sisters of the Holy Name as well as being a member of an Affiliate of the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and deeply respect the work that they do not and have done.
The nuns are the backbone of our Church's social justice policy and the way they have been treated is at the very least UNJUST!
The overwhelming message of Jesus was one of compassion. There is no greater face of compassion in our church than that given by the works of the sisters. In the real world they have had to face the realities of life, death and mercy issues in a mature spiritual way. They are the real teachers of the church. To censure them belittles the Body of Christ on earth.
Every Christian is required to pursue justice at all times, and this action against women doing the Works of Mercy is a great INjustice. It must be revoked!
The sisters taught me about God's love and what it means to be Catholic when I was young. Today they give me the example of what it means to be Catholic by service to the poor and oppressed and valuing all life. They show me how to be a Catholic woman in today's world.
I encourage each person who is affected by this situation to listen deeply for the voice of the Spirit.
I honor and appreciate the prophetic witness of Catholic religious women and their commitment to follow Jesus and the commandment to love our neighbor.
My prayer is the Pope will have a greater respect and appreciation of the community of sisters here in America and respect the intelligence of and commitment of American Catholics.
A church that says it is committed to work for Justice and "Religious Freedom", must be a JUST church that ensures the freedom of its members and the indwelling of the Spirit in ALL members of the body or our preaching is empty and useless.
Catholic sisters welcomed me and taught me about faith, and about teaching, even though I am not Catholic. I am grateful for their witness and faith. The church is broader than the Vatican's borders and the sisters are at the center with Christ.
The family I married into was full of nuns: bright, shiny, funny, compassionate women who chose to devote themselves wholeheartedly to Christ. To not value their lives and their leadership, to indicate that they have not fully and prayerfully created a path in community for good and must be regulated is to devalue me and all of us who happened to be born women.
Catholic sisters have been my teachers, my mentors, my role models and spiritual advisors all of my life. They are my heroes!
Women religious understand the words of Jesus and ARE CAPABLE of translating these words to action. They have the desire and the capacity to serve others. Honor their work rather than submit it to unnecessary critique.
The sisters have done the work of the church with little thanks. And this investigation only communicates the distrust and dislike of women acting with the independence of the children of God.
The American Sisters and those in LCWR have contributed greatly to the Catholic Church in ministry to the poor, the outcast and have provided schools of education as well as hospitals etc. I stand with the Sisters and their ministry and feel the Vatican should reconsider its ruling on LCWR.
I have great respect for Sisters. They taught from childhood and they are the ones who work in the trenches!!!!
We find it in comprehensible the reprimanding of LCWR , Network and the female religious. These women have been doing the work of the church for centuries, in particular since Vatican II. Being with the poor and marginalized has given them a different perspective, challenging them to focus on the issues that impact the poor like health care. Birth control and homosexuality have not been on the top of their list!..Thank God. We cannot imagine how these dedicated women feel, working their whole life for a church that not only does not appreciate them but condemns them. How ungrateful and hypocritical.
The church’s effort to concentrate on the issues of birth control, which 80% of us practice, homosexuality which in most cases is not a choice and preventing women ordination which is a sin of injustice is missed placed energy that could be used for important issues like poverty, violence, war, and oppression, not to mention holding the bishops guilty in the sex abuse scandal accountable.
For over eighty years nuns of communities "liberal" and "conservative" have shown me what it really means to be a Catholic Christian. Bishops and theologians can endlessly debate the minutia of doctrine, but the sisters show us how to live it.
I have been loved and supported by sisters all my life. I am grateful to them for their teaching and work for justice and peace. I hope they receive that gratitude from the Vatican.
The women of the LCWR are acting as Christ's hands and feet...always have, and I believe always will. Treat them with the respect that you'd give to Christ's hands and feet.
Because the hierarchy is completely out of touch with the laity. I think their current actions are meant to distract us from their own problems, e.g. protecting pedophile priests, covering up corruption in the Vatican, etc.
The mandate is disrespectful of all Catholic women who are capable of forming their own conscience.
Transparency and open discussion welcome the Holy Spirit; fear and oppression block us from receiving the Spirit's grace and gifts.
The Vatican and its Curia have gone WAY over the edge. Time to excommunicate them!
To support a wonderful group of women who live the Gospel message of service to others.
I sign in honor of Sister Mary Edith, my third-grade teacher, and her fellow Sisters of Charity at St. Gregory the Great, who taught me in my youth -- and their colleagues of today. They were what raised me in the faith, and the thought that they need "re-education" by a panel of bishops speaks to just how out-of-touch with the world of today -- the place these women of faith stood in that day and this -- the hierarchy of Catholicism is. I am a faithful Christian to this day, but no longer observing in a Catholic setting, thanks to these women and their pragmatic and honest approach -- and their success in teaching me to think critically for myself while standing firmly on the foundation of my religious upbringing. If she is still alive today, perhaps Sister Edith would come out of her well-deserved retirement for a short while and teach the present-day Church's leadership to open their eyes, as she taught me!
Please respect the lives of service of the American Women Religious
I am signing this petition because I believe the Sisters need more credit in the church! If they were to back out of their ministries (which they wouldn't do to God's people) the church would be in a terrible situation. Let them continue on the path of prayer, peace and justice as they have been doing for many, many years. They are the backbone of the church. When will this be recognized?
I am 78 years old. I have known countless numbers of dedicated, remarkable, gifted and tireless sisters who have ministered to generations of people in every way possible. Without these women, the Catholic church could not have continued to exist. Let the Holy Spirit change your hearts. This conflict is between the power of love and the love of power.
In thanksgiving for the fine education which I received from the sisters over 50 years ago and in support of the wonderful ministry that the sisters are doing now and hopefully in the future.
To support these dedicated women and all women in free speech.
The sisters deserve praise not harassment while the hierarchy ought to re-read Matthew: "...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble. it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." And a scandal you have been, gentlemen...
I know I am late signing, but I am part of a group in Louisville, Kentucky who are totally in Solidarity with Sisters.
To firmly stand in prayer, communion, and community with the women who have stood shoulder to shoulder supporting and serving so many. The mandate is a sign of distrust and the hunger for power. it is not a sign that the church "acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly with our God" nor with its women.
I applaud the commitment of Religious women who have dedicated their lives to the service of the "people of God". They have - and continue to influence our lives in endless ways. I pray that the Vatican "see and hear" the impact of these women on millions of people throughout the world. May the Spirit open their minds and hearts.
Recently, I finished my duties as a Confirmation sponsor to an intelligent and thoughtful 15 year old girl. Through her Confirmation discernment process, she questioned her decision to remain in the Catholic faith - citing an out of touch Catholic hierarchy as part of her reasons. Not being able to contradict these reasons, I was only able to point to the strong women who remain Catholic and live out their faith in spite of the questionable leadership from those "men in charge." The respect of women in this church will only come from those of us who remain Catholic pushing for its recognition. It is for this reason alone, that I hesitantly remain an American Catholic. Please do not let me, and more importantly, this newly initiated adult American Catholic woman down.
The Religious Sisters are faithful to the mandate of Jesus, far more so than the Vatican and the hierarchy.
The sisters have served us so well, the poor, the uneducated, the disenfranchised. Now we are there for them.
I see the Sisters out doing God's work. They completely inspire me by their caring, compassion, dedication and selflessness. I see them as the HOPE for the Church amidst sexual abuse scandals and cover-ups.
Leave the Sisters alone. They are the heart, and hands of Christ to so many people. When I go to my parish Sunday Mass, there are fewer and fewer people in the pews. So sad.
Because the sisters that taught me as a child and the sisters today are cut from the same cloth. They are caring, loving, committed, and shining lights in a church filled with clerics who seem to be only concerned with power and control.
Sisters have worked on life issues tirelessly by building a nurturing environment which all life needs to flourish. They have been living Christ's message and should have our gratitude as living examples of God's Love.
Because the LCWR has been a leader in the Catholic Church helping those in need and practicing Jesus message of love for all and compassion for all. Especially hope that this phony attack by the Vatican and the USCCB will not be successful. I pray for all the Sisters to have courage and to stand firm with the help of the Holy spirit.
I sign this because I believe strongly that the Spirit is calling me and others to respond through both prayer and action at this time to support our Sisters.
I am a sister and have worked to spread the gospel and try to live as Jesus would for the past 74 years. May the spirit continue to guide and direct us and may we be open to these inspirations.
Women, not men, are the backbone of the Church. Women and their views should be more highly valued by the largely male Church leadership. I would love for Church leaders, especially those in Rome, to have a reality check.
The sisters are a model for us all. Who can think of even one U. S. Catholic cleric who is well-known and noted for his humility, compassion and dedication to the poor? One has to look to the sisters for this!
I agree that the "mandate" is inappropriate for the goals sought by all in the name of Christ. We need dialogue and mutual respect. Women Religious deserve this respect. I believe they are being faithful to the Gospel and the deep tradition of our Church.
The sisters are speaking prophetically, following The Holy Spirit, their conscience & their founders way. They are speaking up for the justice issues of the people they serve in our times.
To support the women of the Catholic Church.