Monday, July 20, 2009

Just what is happening to the female religious orders?

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If I were in an organization that appeared to be threatened on all sides by modern trends in society and one that was growing smaller by the years, I also would feel really threatened if a major world leader decided to send a team over to my group to gather information.

It would sound to me like a purge was in the process of happening.

Let's look at it from the Pope's point of view.

Female religious orders that have existed for at least 1500 years are in the process of self destructing. Between 1978 and 2005 the number of members of women in religious orders has decreased from 985,000 to 783,000.

I don't have the figures but all would agree that few enter into religious life of any kind these days.

So in another 27 years, as existing members age and die, the size of membership will be even more markedly smaller.

Is this something the women have done? Or is it the result of changes in society? If the trends are to be reversed, someone has to determine just what has happened.

I'm not gloating. I'm very sad about this. I was taught by Benedictine Nuns in Duluth for 12 years and they gave me a wonderful education. My Mom's eldest sister was a Nun in that order and became president of their college, St. Scholastica. Some of my teachers are still alive and I treasure our occasional meetings.

If I were Pope (fat chance), nominally directly in charge of all Catholics in the world, I would be far more sad about this state of affairs.

I too, might send a team of women, nobody seems to mention this factor, to the various female religious orders in the United States to gather information about the state of affairs and have them bring it back to Rome to have it analyzed and form conclusions that might have those female religious orders reverse this horrifying trend.

I would suggest that the female religious orders welcome with open arms the visitation teams sent from Rome. They might be their last chance for survival.

To do this, they will have to suppress their feminist agenda.

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