Originally posted on Feminism and Religion.

Recently I had the great pleasure of presenting on the WATER Teleconference Series and dialoguing with women from around the world about how to promote healing in a rape culture. Likewise, in a previous post I discussed rape culture in the Church and its impact on victims of sexual violence and the greater community. Within a rape culture, those who experience sexual victimization endure physical, emotional, and spiritual wounding. It is a victimization unlike any other, and one that we must continue to discuss in search of healing.

Clarafrancie Cromer, a former WATER intern, received her M.Div. on May 13, 2013 from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Congratulations, Clarafrancie!

The jury is still out on Pope Francis in a pontificate that may well be shaped by women. A month after Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was named Bishop of Rome, his Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Most Rev. Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, met with the presidents of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an umbrella group of American nuns that had come under doctrinal scrutiny and been found wanting.

Archbishop Mueller claimed that he had “recently discussed the Doctrinal Assessment with Pope Francis, who reaffirmed the findings of the Assessment and the program of reform for this Conference of Major Superiors.” On the face of it, this means that Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, Bishop Leonard P. Blair, and Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, who were named to enforce the terms the Congregation’s findings against the LCWR, are given carte blanche to do so. There may be more to this than meets the eye.

Wednesday, July 3rd, 1 PM – Thursday July 4th, 11 AM

Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Avenue South, just off Nicollet Mall downtown.

Register at: Women’s Retreat on convention registration page: https://conv2013.dignityusa.org/civicrm/event/info?id=41&reset=1.

Suggested donation is $25, more if you can, less if you can’t!

Join us to claim our roots and nourish our branches.

For more information:

DignityWomen@DignityUSA.org
DignityUSA office 800.877.8797
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER)
waterstaff@waterwomensalliance.org or 301.589.2509