In a stinging report on Wednesday, the Vatican said the Leadership Conference of Women Religious had been “silent on the right to life” and had failed to make the “Biblical view of family life and human sexuality” a central plank in its agenda.

It also reprimanded American nuns for expressing positions on political issues that differed, at times, from views held by American bishops. Public disagreement with the bishops — “who are the church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals” – is unacceptable, the report said.

On the LCWR website, a press release notified the public that conference-appointed leadership would convene May 29-June 1 to discuss “the conclusions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s doctrinal assessment and the implementation plan put forth by that Vatican office.” The LCWR represents the work of nuns, famous for their humanitarian work for the poor, the disadvantaged, and the orphans. The CDF speaks for the Vatican (and thereby the Pope), and in particular the Bishops who hold office in America.

There are many questions that should be present for a dialogue on this issue. Including:

• What does the history of liberalism within LCWR leadership and meetings do to the image of Catholicism, and how does this fuel the actions of the CDF?
• Does the Catholic faith stand to lose anything from nuns choosing to remain silent on issues of abortion and homosexuality?
• Though the LCWR maintains their devotion to helping the poor and social justice, what are potential women’s rights issues at stake with this development?
• What are the motivations of the CDF? What is meant by the phrase “authentic teachers of faith and morals” when applied to all-male bishops?
• What is meant by saying there is a “Biblical view” of family life as proposed by the CDF? What are some ironies with this statement that make it impractical?
• Is the LCWR a victim of patriarchal dominance? Or is the LCWR culpable for this sort of treatment by submitting themselves to life-long chastity in quiet service and submission? In other words, a common criticism on liberal nuns is the fact that their institution of “nun-hood” is not compatible with liberalism, thereby mooting their ideals and values..
• Most important, is there room for disagreement and dialogue within the Catholic church? If not, what are some consequences and what is the worth of such a faith?

As I work through some of these questions and as the events unfold, I’ll try to propose some answers.