Theologian raps bishops as LCWR ends annual meeting

August 18, 2014

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) concluded its annual conference, enthusiastically applauding an address by Sister Elizabeth Johnson, who denounced the Vatican for issuing a caution about her theological work.

Sister Johnson addressed the LCWR assembly as she accepted the group’s Outstanding Leadership Award. The LCWR decision to honor the dissident theologian underlined the tensions between the group and the Church hierarchy, which led to Rome’s call for a thorough reform of the group.

In 2011 the doctrinal committee of the US bishops’ conference issued a critique of Sister Johnson’s book, Quest for the Living God, saying that it “contains misrepresentations, ambiguities, and errors that bear upon the faith of the Catholic Church as found in Sacred Scripture, and as it is authentically taught by the Church’s universal magisterium.” In her address to the LCWR meeting, the theologian claimed: “To this day, no one-- not myself or the theological community, the media or the general public-- knows what doctrinal issue is at stake.”

 

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Further information:

• Sister Elizabeth Johnson: ‘The waste of time on this investigation is unconscionable’ (RNS)
• Archbishop Sartain tells LCWR leaders he acts as 'brother and a friend' (CWN, 8/14)