This week the Vatican, specifically Pope Francis, was the target of the angst of the Turkish government. While that drama played itself out on newspaper pages around the world, a couple of other things happened:
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Congregation for Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a joint final report that ended about seven years of investigation and dialogue.
New cardinals got their appointments to various vatican dicasteries and commissions...including councils that will probably disappear when the new curial constitution is written.
The LCWR
The leaders of the LCWR and Archbishop Peter Sartain met at the Vatican on Thursday to officially present the final report about how the 2012 Doctrinal Assessment of the LCWR has been implemented. This is what we learned:
New statues for the LCWR approved by the membership of the LCWR in 2014, reviewed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and approved by the Congregation for Institutes for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in February 2015.
Scholarly rigor will be promoted in LCWR publications to ensure theological accuracy and avoid ambiguous statements. The scope of LCWR publications is to address spiritual matters, not to further theological enquiry.
Speakers and presenters at LCWR events will be chosen “in a prayerful, thoughtful and discerning manner” so that the speakers chosen have healthy regard for Church teaching even if they are dealing with contemporary issues.
For more analysis on this joint statement and the end of the Vatican’s oversight of the LCWR, you might want to check out these articles:
CNS offers this look at the statement and the lengthy process of writing it.
All cardinals get appointed as members of different vatican dicasteries and offices shortly after they are elevated to the College of Cardinals. This week the 15 cardinals under 80 who were created in the last consistory got their appointments.