LCWR: Open and honest dialogue

(Vatican Radio) The annual national assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR ) has concluded in St Louis, U.S.A. with a call for “open and honest dialogue” to increase understanding between Church leadership and women religious, but also in the hope of creating more possibilities “for the laity and, particularly for women, to have a voice in the church."

The statement was read to the 900 delegates who attended the four-day assembly, representing 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States. It began by outlining the LCWR’s response to a report issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) dating to last April. Titled, Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, it called for reform of the LCWR and named Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle as its Archbishop Delegate for the initiative.

Outgoing president, Franciscan Sister Pat Farrell, said the LCWR officers would begin dialogue with Archbishop Sartain, “from a stance of deep prayer that values mutual respect, careful listening and open dialogue”. The Archbishop is expected to attend the organization's board meeting Aug. 11,

The four day assembly focused on the mission and work of religious sisters in the United States. In her address to the assembly, SisterFarrell, suggested "six tools for navigating the shifts occurring in the world and church. These tools included contemplation, use of the prophetic voice, solidarity with the marginalized, community, nonviolent responses, and the capacity to live in joyful hope".

The members also passed a resolution calling on Congress to pass the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform that includes the reunification of families and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the United States. They passed a second resolution that committed them to work for the abolition of human trafficking, calling it a form of modern day slavery.