Unhappy with the “tenor and  doctrinal content of addresses given at annual assemblies,” former San Francisco Archbishop William Levada,  now head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF),  has initiated an investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the largest women’s religious leadership organization in the country.

From the National Catholic Reporter…

The Vatican assessment has become necessary, according to Levada, because at the 2001 meeting between the women’s leadership conference and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which took place in Rome, the women were invited “to report on the initiatives taken or planned” to promote the reception of three areas of Vatican doctrinal concern: the 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio sacerdotalis, the 2000 declaration Dominus Jesusfrom the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and “the problem of homosexuality.”

…

In a 1986 letter written by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, to the world’s bishops, he wrote: “Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder.”

I’m glad at least that they can look at my disorder objectively.

The LCWR has long been at odds with Vatican over their more open and modern attitudes toward gays and lesbians. Back in 1999 they expressed sadness over the termination—by the CDF no less—of gay-supportive services provided by the New Ways Ministry in Maryland.

We respectfully acknowledge those congregations’ longstanding support of their members’ efforts to educate and challenge society to recognize the human rights and pastoral needs of persons who are lesbian or gay. Sister Gramick and Father Nugent, in the course of their long ministry, have consistently affirmed the essential dignity of each human being and have worked to change attitudes that, unchecked, have led to derision and physical violence against lesbian and gay people.

We regret the suffering and sense of alienation experienced now by those who have found ministry a reflection of God’s love for them in the ministry of Sister Gramick and Father Nugent.  We applaud the SSND (School Sisters of Notre Dame) decision to establish a fund that will support an individual in pastoral ministry to those who are lesbian and gay as an authentic expression of the congregation’s  charism.

The current Executive Director of LCWR Sister Jane Burke, helped establish that fund. Later in 2002 LCWR issued a letter to the New Ways Ministry …

In the spirit of lived eucharistic communion, we members of the national board of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious wish to express our gratitude to you and your staff for your compassionate presence in ministry to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in the Church.  We recall the words of our bishops in their pastoral letter, “Always Our Children,” affirming that all are children of one God.

I applaud LCWR for moving their faith into the 21st century, and hope they and their ideals can survive until a more inclusive and sympathetic Pope becomes head of the Catholic Church. In response to the investigation LCWR has issued the following statement:

“At this time, LCWR knows neither the process nor timeline for completion of this assessment. As more information is made available to LCWR, the conference will take the appropriate steps to prepare for its participation in the assessment. LCWR faces this process with confidence, believing that the conference has remained faithful to its mission of service to leaders of congregations of women religious as they seek to further the mission of Christ in today’s world.”

Prefect William Levada should be wary of what closet doors he chooses to open, as he has a host of skeletions hiding in his own closet.

Blogger Interrupted ventured out yesterday and captured some of the teabaggery going on in Cleveland…

I’ve been doing video of right wing nutbags for a long time, but this one was the most disturbing event I’ve ever attended. The rotting racist rabid rump of Republicanism has been reduced to a twitching crowd of paranoids. I got harassed away by a growing mob of jackasses, some of whom are in this video. I tried to get the police to stop them, to no avail. After about a half hour of these thugs chasing me around the event, I just left. I’m sure they’ll show up here in comments to harass some more. But I got some stuff on camera, and now it’s on Youtube, because that’s how I roll.

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) has released an insidious and homophobic piece of propaganda called “Dare to Stand” which makes NOM’s “Gathering Storm” look like amateur hour. The new video is a “rethinking” of the National Day of Silence on April 17th, a youth-driven event which calls attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Watch “Dare to Stand”… if you dare.

Classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, IFI purports to “uphold marriage & family, life & liberty in the Land of Lincoln.” From their website…

It is our firm opinion that these claims of discrimination, intolerance and bullying (aimed at people of faith who believe God’s Word that homosexuality is sin) are diverting attention away from GLSEN’s main purpose which has been and continues to be the normalization of homosexuality among impressionable youth.

This 6 minute video, made by a Bible believing church here in Illinois, exposes how our children are being indoctrinated, held captive and forced to accept an unproven and dangerous ideology while Biblical Truth is undermined.

“Dare to Stand” surfaces in the wake of Carl Walker-Hoover’s death, the young boy who recently killed himself after enduring repeated anti-gay bullying.

Many may view the timing as unfortunate, but “Dare to Stand” may present a wonderful opportunity for additional dialogue, shedding more light on homophobia and bullying in schools, while at the same time pushing groups like IFI further out of the mainstream and into Fred Phelps territory.

Sadly, Carl’s birthday would have been on April 17th. Hopefully many will use this day of silence to reflect on this tragedy… and how not to repeat it.

In what many consider the liberal capital of the United States, 400 plus individuals gathered to protest increased taxation and government spending at San Francisco City Hall and outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. While the Tea Party movement proclaims to be party agnostic, the anti-Obama sentiment was palpable. If BOTH parties got us into this mess, as they purport, where were the anti-Republican signs and speeches?

The crowd was made up primarily of  white males, definitely skewing older, with white women a distance second. People of color were rare and hard to find. There were the typical memes about the inexorable march toward socialism, the ills of more government and  Obama’s administration taxing us all to the grave. There was also a subtle current of militancy (perhaps it was the Ron Paul supporters mingled in with the crowd) with cries for revolution, particularly among the middle-aged and younger. Those who were older perhaps more interested in holding on to their money than “taking the country back.”

There was also a notable lack of tea, despite the movement’s name. Probably for the best. The original meaning and motives behind the original Boston Tea Party have been lost in today’s events, which have been co-opted by special interest, Fox News and oddly enough, a host of Republicans.  The original Boston Tea Party wasn’t about raising taxes, in fact the Tea Act of 1773 lowered taxes. Instead, colonists objected because they believed it violated their constitutional right to be taxed only by their own elected representatives. It had nothing to do with raising taxes. It had nothing to do with overspending.

But today’s events did present a wonderful opportunity to discuss ideas and solutions that might address our economic plight, but such discussions were woefully absent, constructive debate replaced with whining and complaining. The only solution gently hinted at was to take the country back by way of revolution.

And as for the teabaggery, thankfully there was none. At least not in the literal since. Which is a very good thing indeed.

Additional photos from the protest and a video below…

Previous liveblog from earlier today…