A group of Catholic nuns is urging Congress to pass health care reform, breaking ranks with bishops who say the current bill does not do enough to block federal money from being used to fund abortions.
"We write to urge you to cast a life-affirming 'yes' vote when the Senate health care bill (H.R. 3590) comes to the floor of the House for a vote as early as this week," a group of nuns wrote in a letter to members of Congress released Wednesday by NETWORK, progressive Catholic advocacy organization.
NETWORK said the 55 signatories represent tens of thousands of Catholic nuns in the United States.
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"And despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions," the letter reads. "It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments – $250 million – in support of pregnant women. This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it."
The nuns are siding with the Catholic Health Association, a group representing Catholic hospitals, which offered its support for reform earlier this week.
Good news, indeed! The Vatican's investigation of the religious orders in the US, along with child abuse scandals which moved closer to the pope, may have encouraged the nuns to take an independent stand from the hierarchy. However, the nuns whom I've known have not been lacking in feistiness, and the good sisters, very likely, did not need much of a push.
That is very good news. At least some people in the RC church have some sense. BTW I knew a nun years ago who taught chemistry at a small college. She hiked her habit up to play tennis and was quite a very strong character. Her religious name was Sr. Louis Pierre.
ReplyDeleteIt is time the sisters let their voices be heard! I think it would be far better if they were heard more regularly instead of accepting the muzzle and the sidelines.
ReplyDeleteCheryl Mack
In my 12 years of RC schooling with nuns, I encountered a good many intelligent, strong, and good women.
ReplyDeleteI read about this in our paper this week. Those nuns have more courage and wisdom than the whole of the RC church!
ReplyDeleteVery good!
ReplyDeleteNuns!
ReplyDeleteI was on the other side of the Tiber for 40 years and one thing I noticed was that Roman Catholics listen to Nuns. NOT to Bishops. Bishops were to be seen once a year to confirm the kids, otherwise they were invisible.
ReplyDeleteGo nuns! Go nuns! Go nuns!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMimi, a propos of nothing, you haven't answered JCF's intriguing question about Pena Gitana over on OCICBW...
Cathy, Jonathan taught me that I didn't have to answer inconvenient questions. ;-)
ReplyDeletethat's a shame, cos now we'll never find out ...
ReplyDeleteYou'll never know. I'll take the answer to my grave.
ReplyDelete