Nonsense, nunsense.

* Is it possible that the problem now facing the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in their standoff with the Vatican, and by extension the people of God in general, is unsolvable?

The recent conference of the sisters in St. Louis ended with a resolution to continue to attempt to dialogue with the Vatican (NCR, Aug. 17-30). I wonder if in their breakout sessions the sisters misinterpreted the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

The very term, "dialogue with the Vatican," has to be the mother of all oxymorons. Perhaps the time has come for the nuns to set the problem aside r and simply move beyond it in conformity with their conscience.

TIM CRONLEY

Ellenton, Fla.

* Earlier this year, Cardinal William Levada, then the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned of a possible "dialogue of the deaf' with LCWR (NCR, June 22-July 5). I agree, but the deaf are not the sisters but the pope and his Vatican. Their ears and hearts are shut tight by a worn-out ideology declaring that the all-male hierarchy is the magisterium proclaimed as the only legitimate teachers.

The very idea of teaching implies a mutuality of equals in the style of the Jewish Jesus who, thousands of years ago, did theological dialogue with Martha's sister, Mary.

How is it possible to totally exclude women, the other half of life's creative energy, and claim to infallibly speak truth? The compassionate, loving Jesus would surely not want anything to do with such cold-hearted, anti-spiritual nonsense.

JOHN P. EGAN

Highland Lakes, N.J.

Article Details

Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:	LETTERS
Publication:	National Catholic Reporter
Article Type:	Letter to the editor
Date:	Aug 31, 2012
Words:	261
Previous Article:	So many 'coulds'.
Next Article:	Hearing and listening.