LCWR Statement on Sexual Abuse by Clergy

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, as members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, support and echo their recent statement on Sexual Abuse by the Clergy.

"The recent news detailing the extensive and sometimes brutal sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests in the United States has left us at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious sickened and ashamed of the church we love, trusted, and have committed our lives to serve. We weep and grieve with all who over the decades have been victimized by sexual predators within the faith community and feel their pain as our own. We recognize that the damage done to many is irreparable.

Sexual abuse is a horrific crime, and the horror is so much worse when committed by persons in whom society has placed its trust and confidence. Equally difficult to comprehend is the culture within the church hierarchy that tolerated the abuse, left children and vulnerable adults subject to further abuse, and created practices that covered up the crimes and protected the abusers.

We call upon the church leadership to implement plans immediately to support more fully the healing of all victims of clergy abuse, hold abusers accountable, and work to uncover and address the root causes of the sexual abuse crisis. We believe that the work to implement the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its subsequent revisions has been an important and effective step in addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. We have watched the Conference of Major Superiors of Men diligently work to assure the protection and safety of children and youth and applaud its efforts. However, it is clear that more serious action needs to be taken to assure that the culture of secrecy and cover-up ends.

We also call upon church leaders to attend to the severe erosion of the church’s moral standing in the world. Its members are angry, confused, and struggling to find ways to make sense of the church’s failings. The church leadership needs to speak with honesty and humility about how this intolerable culture developed and how that culture will now be deconstructed, and to create places where church members can express our anger and heartbreak. We call on the leaders to include competent members of the laity more fully in the work to eradicate abuse and change the culture, policies, and practices. We are committed to collaborate in the essential work of healing and transformation that our church so desperately needs.

Finally, we recognize that the vast majority of priests have not committed abuse and are suffering greatly because of the actions of some of their brothers. We offer them our prayer and support as they continue their ministries in these very challenging times and as they too struggle to understand the complexity of factors that led to this deplorable situation."

View the statement on LCWR's website HERE

Religious Life in Peru Against Human Trafficking

In order to strengthen and support the work of the national network of Consecrated Life and Priests committed to reducing this scourge of human trafficking and respond adequately, the Fifth National Meeting of the Red Kawsay in Peru (of which we are part) was held.

During these three days of meetings, we dealt with issues of prevention, advocacy, applicability of the Anti-Trafficking Law, the migration situation in Peru, trafficking, ethics and corruption as well as a powerful theological reflection on human trafficking in the light of the icon of the Visitation.

It was a very significant time because, as explained in the Final Declaration of the Meeting, the participants were very moved by the recent events of labor exploitation seen in the fire of the Nicollini Building (Cercado de Lima). As a result, the Red Kawsay united in prayer and expressed its sorrow and condemnation of this event and all forms of trafficking in persons: “We are indignant at the normalization of these deeply rooted practices in society and we demand due process for the victims and for their families who cry out for justice," the Declaration says.

Likewise, some practices of the Network were shared in coordination with state operators that are being developed in Puno and Madre de Dios, as well as the experience of the Network ‘A Cry for Life’ in Brazil and the initiative to form Red Kawsay Bolivia.

Through reflection on the various topics discussed, as Red Kawsay we felt a strong call for a greater professionalism in the members of the Network, with a focus on awareness and advocacy, particularly for accountability and inspection from the Peruvian State as a strategy for prevention.

We are grateful for the space of meeting, prayer, learning and training.

You can read below the complete Final Declaration:

"Trafficking in persons is ... a wound in the body of Christ, and for this reason the Church together with the people of good will cry out! Let us unite efforts to help the victims."- Pope Francis

On July 6, 7 and 8, 2017, 45 participants: religious, priests and a laity from Tacna, Puno, La Libertad, Madre de Dios, Huánuco, Lambayeque, Piura, Ancash, San Martin, Ayacucho and Lima met in the retreat house of the Colegio de Jesús in Pueblo Libre to celebrate the 5th National Meeting of the Red Kawsay - "Consecrated Life for a society without human trafficking."

Still shocked by the recent events of labor exploitation seen in the tragedy of the Nicollini Building, as Red Kawsay we unite in prayer and express our sorrow and condemnation of this event and all forms of human trafficking. We are indignant at the naturalization of these deeply entrenched practices in society and we demand due process for the victims and their families who claim justice.

Starting from the Gospel of the Visitation (Luke 1:39-45) that served as an inspiring icon for the Consecrated Life of Latin America, we feel called upon and challenged to take initiatives that are more concrete and consistent with our commitment to fight against this scourge: in the recognition, defense and respect of human dignity (and one’s inalienable right to work in dignified conditions); in solidarity with the victims of human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants; and with the hope and strength that comes from God which we want to share.

In these past 7 years as the Red Kawsay we feel the grace of all we have learned, of acquiring a position within the country and civil society that recognize us as allies. At the same time, this recognition invites us to a greater professionalism, focusing our resources better on awareness and advocacy, particularly in the inspection of state actions as a prevention strategy.

As people of Faith:

• We offer a perspective and take action from the vision of the Kingdom, to have relationships and humanizing encounters that reaffirm our call and commitment to promote the dignity of life.
• We promote prevention actions in the different mission areas (parish, schools, groups, families, institutions and others).
• We promote justice that dignifies the person affected by trafficking, and at the same time re-humanizes the trafficker and those surrounding him/her.
• We focus on the creation of adequate and specialized safe spaces for accompanying the victims.
• We contribute initiatives to local and regional governments without giving up the prophetic voice that denounces the impunity, inaction and inertia of some entities of the State linked to corruption.
• We opt for the truth and the strengthening of a culture of peace with an emphasis on respect for life and fundamental rights.
• We confront the naturalization of trafficking, and violence in its various forms.
• We sensitize and raise awareness about the reality of human trafficking in the diocese through bishops, priests, religious and church institutions.
• We will discern a careful accompaniment to the various actors, causes and effects of trafficking from coordinated and networked work.

Aware of living in new times and called to make real the presence of God in the world, we want our solidarity with the people affected by trafficking to be hopeful, contagious, and active to help bring about the Kingdom of God through the way of Jesus.

Lima, July 2017

4 Ways Your Faith Community Can Prepare for Sanctuary

By Rev. Alison Harrington

We call upon our congregations and communities to go beyond talk of loving our neighbor to revolutionary love, living our faith and values by opening our doors and hitting the streets to create sanctuary alongside marginalized communities to stop the violence and seek justice in all that we do. Here’s how we can prepare while the newly elected administration moves in.

1. SIGN THE PLEDGE TO RESIST DEPORTATION AND DISCRIMINATION.

Making this public commitment sends a strong message of resistance to the administration that our faith communities will not stand by while our friends, families, and neighbors continue to live in fear as targets of hate crimes, incarceration, and deportation. 

Our pledge also sets an example of powerful, values-rooted resistance for people of faith and moral conscience who are struggling to discern the right thing to do in this moment. And most importantly, it is a promise to marginalized communities that we will work alongside those in the struggle to ensure the dignity and human rights of all people.

When you add your name, make sure to mark whether your faith community is interested in playing a role in the Sanctuary Movement so we’ll be able to connect with you to hear what your community needs, and equip you with strategies, stories, trainings, and opportunities to take action.

2. CONNECT WITH LOCAL SANCTUARY COMMUNITIES, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS AND COALITIONS.

We’re in a new era of organizing because of the elected administration’s extreme racist, discriminatory, and anti-immigrant policy proposals — but these are deep-set issues our communities have been fighting against for a long time. 

Connecting with groups that have experience working within immigrant and marginalized communities, and are led by people in the struggle, is a necessary first step to creating powerful and sustainable local coalitions that can plug into the national movement.

Here’s a list of pro-immigrant faith groups, or you can do a Google search for local immigrant rights groups in your city or state.

3. PROVIDE SPACE IN YOUR HOMES, HOUSES OF WORSHIP, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS FOR HEALING, EDUCATING, AND ORGANIZING.

Depending on what the needs are of our local communities, and what happens after Inauguration Day, Sanctuary may be needed in a variety of contexts.

But immediately, we can create safe spaces anywhere for people to heal, learn, and organize:

Offer up the literal spaces of our churches and community centers for gatherings, forums, office space, and organizing work. A lot of crucial organizing work happens on a shoestring budget. Any resources we have to support that work can mean the difference between success or failure. One of the easiest and yet most powerful things we can do in this moment is provide childcare for community meetings — childcare is costly and yet vital for the participation of parents at meetings.

Just remember: Opening our spaces to community groups to meet and strategize does not mean we are invited into that space. Unlock the doors, turn on the heat, and move out of the way. There is, of course, times in which we may be invited, but we must wait for those invitations and have upfront conversations with folks about expectations. 

White allies can create sanctuary space within your communities for white people to engage in talking about White Supremacy. Over half of white Americans voted for the President-elect, including a surprising number of white women and college-educated white men. We will need to consider smart outreach and ministry strategies to dismantle deep-rooted racism and xenophobia within our own circles and communities.

Create and respect the sanctuary spaces of marginalized and underrepresented people. All of those directly impacted by systems of violence and oppression must have their own space to heal and find wholeness within circles of love and support where their life and experience is centered and shared.

4. SET UP A RAPID RESPONSE TEAM FOR IMMIGRATION RAIDS THROUGH SANCTUARY IN THE STREETS OR THE PROTECTION NETWORK.

Sanctuary doesn’t just have to be a specific space or region, it is also a way of being. Communities banding together and looking out for one another can be a powerful way to provide each other with sanctuary.

Pro-immigrant communities and organizations have been setting up loose networks to watch out for each other for as long as they’ve existed. More recently, people have been using and setting up these networks to watch out for and respond to immigration agents ripping people apart from their communities.

Immigrant communities almost always have informal mutual aid networks among themselves. Intentionally listening for them, and finding ways to support them when invited to, is one of the best first ways to become a part of a local rapid response network.

Formalizing these networks in times of duress is part of how the Protection Network in Arizona was born from extreme anti-immigrant hostility, aspiring to provide legal support, trainings, a common defense fund, and a rapid response system.

Creating sanctuary everywhere isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when we remember a lot of what we need already exists in the love and connection we have for one another. The more we can build on that, the better we’ll all be.

(Original article and additional resources can be found HERE)

A Call to Mercy and Justice

By Jennifer Reyes Lay

Opening ceremonies of welcome and exchange

Last weekend Nov. 11-13^th I had the opportunity to attend Call To Action’s annual conference, hosted this year in Albuquerque, NM.  The theme for the Conference was “One Earth, One People, A Call to Mercy and Justice.”  Incorporating this theme into the spirit and activities of the Conference, there were many different presentations from people of various cultures, ethnicities, and parts of the world, sharing about our common work for mercy and justice.  Liturgical and prayer celebrations included song, dance, movement, and reflection from indigenous communities of Albuquerque and indigenous Latino communities.  The Conference opened with a special ceremony of representatives from one of the local indigenous communities welcoming us into their space and land, and sharing gifts of friendship and hospitality.  It then continue with women sharing stories about their ancestors, and honoring our various stories of how they arrived from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.  The preacher for the closing liturgy was a Navajo man who helped us (Catholics) reflect on our complicity in the Doctrine of Discovery and genocide of native peoples, and call us to repentance and conversion to respect and honor all peoples and creation.   

Young adults with Fr. Richard Rohr

During the weekend there were three main keynote presentations.  Friday night’s keynote was by Fr. Richard Rohr, reflecting on the dynamic relationship of God through the Trinity, and the transformative power that has to offer the Church and the world.  He focused on how relationship, specifically a relationship of giving and receiving love, is central to understanding and experiencing our God.  We too are called to model this dynamic relationship of giving and receiving love in our lives and interactions with the whole of creation.  Saturday’s keynote was a panel of young adult Catholics, sharing about their experiences of being church, Catholic identity, and building intergenerational communities.  It was a lively and inspiring conversation that fueled a lot of hope for moving forward together as an intergenerational church committed to the work of justice and peace in our world.  Sunday’s keynote was presented by Dr. Greer Gordon, a Roman Catholic theologian, author, and lecturer known for her work in the field of apologetics, evangelization, and catechetics.  She offered a powerful witness and challenge of what is means to be the body of Christ in the U.S. today given the reality of a Trump presidency.  She spoke of her own personal experiences of being targeted by racism and encouraged all those present to not give in to fear, but to stand as prophetic witnesses, imaging Christ in the world, and being prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice just like he did if necessary.  She challenged us to reflect on and take seriously what it means to be followers of Christ in the world today, and to act accordingly, pushing the Church to do the same where it currently fails to do so. 

Members of the CTA 20/30 community

In addition to the keynote speakers, there were many workshops held throughout the Conference on a wide range of topics including our responsibility to protect and care for the environment, decolonization and shadow work, peace and nonviolence, Latina and mujerista theology, mercy and restorative justice, and interfaith perspectives among others.  The Conference also had particular spaces for me, as a young adult Catholic, to gather with other young adults in our 20s and 30s to build community and share ideas.  I really appreciated these spaces to network with other young adults inspired by their faith to work for peace and justice in the world.  They give me a lot of hope for the years ahead of us! 

Joint CTA and Strong Families Press Conference

Call to Action as an organization has also made a commitment to actively work to become an anti-racist, anti-oppressive organization and to dismantle structural racism in our church and in the world.  Part of this work involves connecting with local organizations and communities where the Conference is held to see how they can partner with them to lift up their own local work against racism and oppression.  At this year’s conference, CTA partnered with Strong Families New Mexico to hold a joint march and press conference for mercy and justice.  Strong Families is active in the Albuquerque area supporting victims of violence and discrimination and working for justice.  Together CTA and Strong Families held a march with signs stating that we stand in solidarity together, we call for mercy and justice in our communities, and that love will always trump hate and violence.  I was grateful for the opportunity to participate in this action of solidarity. 

Overall it was a wonderful weekend, full of inspiring and challenging messages of how to be the body of Christ in the world today, particularly in light of the divides and hateful rhetoric we have experienced in this past election cycle.  The message I was left with is that we have a lot of work to do, but we can take comfort in the knowledge that we do not do this work alone.  God is with us as we stand together to create a world of mercy and justice for all.  

Catholic Church Leaders Issue Appeal on Climate Change

By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO at the New York Times: 

Roman Catholic cardinals, patriarchs and bishops from around the world on Monday appealed to climate-change negotiators to approve a “fair, legally binding and truly transformational climate agreement” when they meet at a widely anticipated United Nations conference in Paris next month.

Representatives of the church from five continents signed the appeal in Vatican City. They said it was inspired by Pope Francis’ sweeping encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si,” issued in June, which forcefully calls for action to stem environmental destruction and climate change.

The prelates’ appeal calls for a “major breakthrough in Paris” that puts “the common good ahead of national interests,” and advances a 10-point policy proposal “drawing on the concrete experience of people across the continents, and linking climate change to social injustice and the social exclusion of the poorest and most vulnerable of our citizens,” they wrote.

The proposal includes putting “an end to the fossil fuel era,” phasing out emissions by mid-century and providing “affordable, reliable and safe renewable energy access for all.” It also calls for the development of “new models of development and lifestyle.”

Governments must also set limits to global temperature increases, the appeal stated. Decisions made in Paris must be legally binding, the prelates said.

“It’s not a wish or a recommendation but something that is going to tie the hands of governments, we hope,” Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, India, said at a news conference Monday.

The church has a duty, he said, to bring “ethical considerations” to the forefront of the climate talks in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

The appeal, Cardinal Gracias said, was a “historic occasion” and the first time that Catholic leaders representing all regional and national bishops conferences had presented a joint appeal.

    Continue reading HERE