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Survey finds support for American women's religious leadership

August 11, 2014

As the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) prepares for its annual convention, the Pew Research Center reports that most American Catholics express general satisfaction with the leadership of women's religious orders.

The LCWR, which represents the leaders of about 80% of America's women religious, has been ordered by the Vatican to undergo a period of reform, after an investigation that found multiple serious doctrinal problems.

Pew Research, in an open-ended survey, asked Catholics whether they were satisfied with the leadership of religious orders. Half reported that they were "very satisfied" and another 33% were "somewhat satisfied," while only 4% were "very dissatisfied." The Pew survey did not present respondents with a listing of the Vatican's concerns.

A Pew story on the survey does, however, note that the number of women religious serving in the US has plummeted from about 180,000 in 1965 to 50,000 today.

 


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  • Posted by: jimr451 - Aug. 12, 2014 7:15 AM ET USA

    My first thought was also - "how many Catholics actually know anything about the leadership of any religious orders?".

  • Posted by: williiam ronner - Aug. 11, 2014 3:46 PM ET USA

    Most Catholics have no idea the destruction these sisters have wrought. They preach heresy as proven in the "text" written by Fordham University professor Sister Johnson which has been banned in most Catholic colleges. Even so, she was named Person Of The Year by the LCWR. Don't listen to what they say unless you are prepared to engage in in-depth questioning. Watch what they support.