Archbishop Peter Sartain Praises US Women Religious Conference

August 14, 2012: "As an association of women religious, the LCWR brings unique gifts to its members and to the Church at large. This uniqueness includes sensitivity to suffering, whether in Latin America or the inner-city; whether in the life of an unborn child or the victim of human trafficking,", said Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle in a statement released on Saturday, after his meeting with the LCWR board.

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious’ (LCWR) had concluded their 4-day annual assembly on 10^th August. The Assembly has decided to continue dialogue with church officials about the Vatican's doctrinal assessment of their organization.

The Archbishop of Seattle was appointed the Holy See’s delegate to the LCWR following the release of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (CDF) "Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious." The report called for a reform within the Leadership Conference.

The Annual assembly of the LCWR saw the participation of over 900 delegates representing 80% of the United States women religious in the country.

In his statement, Archbishop Sartain praised the contributions and continued work of the LCWR in the United States, for which, he says, they deserve our respect, support, thanks and prayers. The American prelate also assured his commitment to addressing the issues raised by the CDF’s Doctrinal Assessment “in an atmosphere of prayer and respectful dialogue.”

"We must also work toward clearing up any misunderstandings, and I remain truly hopeful that we will work together without compromising Church teaching or the important role of the LCWR. I look forward to our continued discussions as we collaborate in promoting consecrated life in the United States," the Archbishop’s statement read.

LCWR's outgoing president, Franciscan Sister Pat Farrell, said the group's leaders would begin dialogue with Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, who is charged with overseeing the group's reform. Sister Farrell said LCWR members hoped its leaders would have "open and honest dialogue" that would lead to greater understanding and to greater opportunities for women to have a voice in the church. She said the officers would "proceed with these discussions as long as possible but would reconsider if LCWR is forced to compromise the integrity of its mission."