The need for improved relationships and a rebuilding of trust in the Church is the message that has been emerging from a meeting of the International Union of Superiors General, or UISG, which opened here in Rome last Friday. The five days meeting brings together some 800 leaders of women’s religious communities from 76 countries and is focused on the theme ‘The service of leadership according to the Gospel”.
Sisters search for new leadership models at UISG meeting
The need for improved relationships and a rebuilding of trust in the Church is the message that has been emerging from a meeting of the International Union of Superiors General, or UISG, which opened here in Rome last Friday. The five days meeting brings together some 800 leaders of women’s religious communities from 76 countries and is focused on the theme ‘The service of leadership according to the Gospel”.
In a discussion session on Sunday with the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Religious, Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz spoke of recent tensions with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the United States, saying there is need for a wide-ranging review of structures of power within the Catholic Church.
The UISG was established in 1965, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, to promote deeper collaboration between female religious congregations.
Following is NCR's full interview with Mary Lou Wirtz, edited only slightly for clarity and context.
In that vein of servant leadership, in several of the presentations so far there have been a lot of discussions about power, or authority, or what it means to be obedient. A couple days into the meeting, what's the essence you're taking away from those?
The concept of power of this world, as Jesus refers to it, of our governments and all that, is so often the power of oppression or putting down people or abusing power in many different ways. What we're trying to reflect on is 'What is the good aspect of power?'
And I think Sr. Mary Pat [Mercy Sr. Mary Pat Garvin] in her reflection this morning was showing how when we use power in the right sense, we can influence others and that influence itself is power. We're sometimes afraid as religious to use that word, and yet I think in the very communal way in which we go about our ministries and service, that is a power.
We have the power to influence many, many people -- through what we do and through our service, without us focusing on that as an end in itself, but as through that service.
So some of the importance for you was just to get the facts on the table?
I think so, and for other sisters from other parts of the world to hear what are the facts. And to hear from one of the team themselves how this has unfolded and how the sisters are handling it.
Looking at the LCWR situation, what's the key question facing women religious throughout the world in how LCWR has been treated?
I don't know how to answer what the key question is, but I think for other religious they're watching to see how this is unfolding and how it might impact them in the future. They're very interested in following the situation. I don't know that I could say a key question except that they are interested in seeing how this plays out, because it has implications.
If LCWR can truly open a dialogic stance with CDF for instance and bring clarity because of openness on both sides of the dialogue, I think that would be wonderful. I think that's what they're hoping for.
Would a sense of dialogue help relations between religious and Vatican officials in the future?
I hope so, that we can model what true dialogue is, that we can model that in such a way that it helps those on the other side -- in other words, the Vatican side -- to understand what we mean by dialogue.
That it is a mutual sharing by both sides of information, of whatever is on their minds -- that there can be that kind of mutual openness to hear one another. That isn't always felt at this time.
They're [LCWR] being slow in the process, hoping that through taking the time and patience that the possibility for better dialogue can truly unfold.
What are you most hoping for?
I think just for the opportunity for the interaction for the sisters here with the cardinal because I find he's very open. And I'm happy to have the opportunity for the sisters to experience that because some come with fixed ideas of how things have been in the past.
I'm hoping too that on the visitation of the U.S. sisters that he'll at least be able to give us update information because that's never been brought to a closure, mainly because staff keep being changed. And so to get an update on that I think will be helpful, especially for the American sisters.
We'll have to see where the dialogue goes, but I'm really happy for this opportunity, that he was so gracious to offer us this much time to dialogue.
Is there some issue facing women religious that you thought going into this role you wanted to focus on, but haven't been able to?
One of the issues that we've worked with throughout these years is how can we have better connections with the constellations -- constellations are regional groupings of various sizings and various aspects of influence.
And we've worked hard to try to connect to those parts of the world where there either was no constellation or an inactive one and try to revitalize or call forth how can we be of better help?
That's been one of the pieces, and also with the closings of Regina Mundi [an international study center in Rome that was closed in 2006] we've initiated "Regina Mundi in Diaspora," where we're helping to fund some educational opportunities for sisters from developing countries to be educated in their own country, but helping to provide some monies to make that possible.
That's been one of the things that we've developed in this time also.
By Josha McElwee
Published: May 6, 2013