Over beers at twelve mile limit I learned that a priest back home stopped preaching over the new nun situation.
Turns out that the pope has decided to assess America's nuns for errors in teachings. The Vatican claims that the nuns - and schools run by nuns - aren't strong enough on abortion and contraception, on the ordination of women, and on homosexuality. So they are going to withstand external assessment, criticism, and likely some dismissal.
Apparently no one is catholic enough for the Vatican, especially when it comes to being a woman. I guess I should say that no woman is catholic enough. Or no member of a religious community is catholic enough.
Now I'm not a woman, or member of a religious community like a convent or a monastery, but I thought this was a pretty lame move for the Vatican. And so did a priest at a small, country church.
The problem stems from the Vatican's approach to problems lately, to address them through criticism and exclusion rather than with respect, honesty, and conversation. If we disagree, can we not walk together? How does this assessment help the Holy Spirit work within us? How does it help us unite as a planet?
The problem isn't that 'being right' isn't important, it's that being together is so much more important.
