The Vatican's nun 'inquisition'
Is the Vatican's delegation to investigate America's nuns a crackdown or a much-needed correction?
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The Vatican has started "two sweeping investigations of American nuns," said Laurie Goodstein in The New York Times, and many sisters are bracing for a "doctrinal inquisition." The church usually only launches such "apostolic visitations" when a church community has "gone seriously astray," but this seems more like a move to "reel in American nuns" who have moved from the convent and Catholic institutions to academia, social work, and activism.
A nun "inquisition"? said Rod Dreher in BeliefNet. It's about time. The Vatican has turned a blind eye to "heterodox nuns" for decades, letting them preach about moving to a "Post-Christian" spirituality and the like, without "so much as a peep from Rome." If that's what these nuns think Catholicism is, it's no wonder the only growing Catholic women's religious orders are those practicing "fidelity and orthodoxy."
What growth? said Tim Carmody in Snarkmarket. There are only about 60,000 nuns left in the U.S., down from 180,000 in 1965. So now "the Vatican wants to start an inquisition into what's left of the orders, 'cause some o' them ladies just maybe ain't been doin' what they're told"? Thanks a lot, Pope Benedict.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Will the US keep aiding Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Republicans give Volodymyr Zelenskyy a 'cold shoulder' in D.C.
By Joel Mathis Published
-
Is it time to end the China trade war?
Talking Point The U.S. aims to dial down China trade tensions after years of tit-for-tat tariffs and bans on advanced technology sales
By Harold Maass Published
-
Priced out
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published