In our recent European travels it was sad to see many churches closed or being used for museums or whatnot. When I asked around about the reason for church closings the answers were usually that folks no longer believe or that younger people have no interest in church.
The sad thing to me is that the Church doesn't seem to want to accept much responsibility for the decline. I think that, until we do, the situation here will be more and more like Europe.
Have you been reading about this trouble making American nun, Sister Simone Campbell? Sister Campbell has spent most of her life working with the poor. Campbell, a registered lobbyist and political strategist and holds a law degree, spent 18 years representing poor people at a community law center in Oakland, California.
And now, Sister Campbell is in big trouble with the Vatican. The largest association of U.S. nuns - the Leadership Conference of Women Religious - were charged with allowing "radical feminist themes" to permeate its meetings.
Sister Campbell has responded by making an appearance on The Colbert Report and launching a "Nuns on the Bus" tour.
The nuns have said repeatedly that they are doing what they're called to do. (By the way, this is what Jesus calls all of us to do - Take Care of the Poor.)
I see trouble making folks like Sister Campbell and others around the world as the great hope for breathing life back into the church.
Campbell, who's been a faithful woman religious for over 40 years, says about the Pope getting after her: Some guy who's never talked to me says we're a problem? Ooh, that hurts.
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The sad thing to me is that the Church doesn't seem to want to accept much responsibility for the decline. I think that, until we do, the situation here will be more and more like Europe.
Have you been reading about this trouble making American nun, Sister Simone Campbell? Sister Campbell has spent most of her life working with the poor. Campbell, a registered lobbyist and political strategist and holds a law degree, spent 18 years representing poor people at a community law center in Oakland, California.
And now, Sister Campbell is in big trouble with the Vatican. The largest association of U.S. nuns - the Leadership Conference of Women Religious - were charged with allowing "radical feminist themes" to permeate its meetings.
Sister Campbell has responded by making an appearance on The Colbert Report and launching a "Nuns on the Bus" tour.
The nuns have said repeatedly that they are doing what they're called to do. (By the way, this is what Jesus calls all of us to do - Take Care of the Poor.)
I see trouble making folks like Sister Campbell and others around the world as the great hope for breathing life back into the church.
Campbell, who's been a faithful woman religious for over 40 years, says about the Pope getting after her: Some guy who's never talked to me says we're a problem? Ooh, that hurts.
***
