A liberal Catholic newspaper has published an interview with Mother Mary Clare Millea who is overseeing the Apostolic Visitation of U.S. female religious. Some highlights appear below...
* "Phase three" (on-site visits) will begin one week after Easter and will continue through the fall of 2010. Most of those chosen for visits ("probably, roughly a hundred") should receive a letter at least a couple months before the visitation. Mother Millea indicated that both 'progressive' and traditional communities will be visited.
* "Phase four", the last phase, is the preparation of detailed reports on all "units" ("meaning congregations as well as their individual provinces") of female religious in the U.S. as well as a final report at the end. It appears that this phase will be completed sometime after June 2011. The reports will be sent to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
* Asked about non-compliance with the questionnaire, Mother Millea indicated that they now have "a response from virtually every congregation in the country", but also said that "Were all of those one hundred percent compliant in answering every question? No. But we have excellent data on most congregations."
* Mother Millea responded to the possibility that some of the sisters would "go non-canonical" (apparently workshops have been offered for those who are considering cutting ties with the Church) saying, "...for a group of persons who are involved in a certain institution to say it's no longer officially aligned with the Catholic church, that's certainly a possibility." She also said, "We'll have to wait and see what choices people make, but I know it's being talked about and models are being proposed"
* Asked if there was a "good news story to tell" at the end of the day, she indicated that there was, but not without "enormous problems". She also said, "We would certainly be idealistic to think that we're going to return to the numbers that we had, but religious life as such, from what I see, is going to continue."
News of the visitation was generally welcomed by traditional communities but not by 'progressive' communities. It is well known that many "modern" sisters have been rebellious & unorthodox for years, calling into question - or openly protesting - various teachings of the Church, as well as practicing & promoting witchcraft and harmful New Age practices.
Related: Cardinal Rodé speaks to Vatican Radio about reasons for Apostolic Visitation (11/09) | More from those docile religious sisters (8/09) | Catholic Humor? (8/09) | LCWR annual meeting is true to form (8/09) | Rebellious women religious (7/09)
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