Pope Francis & Socially Active Nuns

Anybody that thought that the Catholic church had turned a corner with the election of Pope Francis need only look at the soon to come crackdown on socially active US nuns to know this guy is no different than his fellow right-wing predecessors.

The Catholic church does more for the poor in Third World countries than any other institution. It is an admiral pursuit but in the First World church members are discouraged from social activism. Nuns in particular in the US pursue socially active callings. They advocate for the poor and disadvantaged. The Catholic church treats women as second class members. They are discouraged from leadership and questioning the all male hierarchy.

The Catholic church is losing members in North America and Western Europe. Rampant paedophilia among its priests and a failure of leadership to react has repulsed church membership. Nuns have been silenced and told to tow the line.

A recent Time magazine article showed that Hispanics in South America and the US are leaving the church for evangelical Protestant churches in the millions. The Orange order should take note.

The worst thing that happened to the Catholic church was the long reign of Pope John Paul II. He stacked his bishops and College of Cardinals with like minded right-wing zealots. It will result in a Third World church devoid of meaningful membership in Liberal western countries.

There is no doubt that many will advocate for the Liberal US nuns to choose another church. A crackdown on their social activism may result in their wish coming true. I would suggest that the nuns have been a breath of fresh air in the western church. I would hold up their socially conscious record over the paedophile priests and their enablers in the male church leadership.    

The irony for the Catholic church is that the truly socially conservative Hispanic membership is flocking to evangelical churches, mainly due to distrust of a church leadership, while socially liberal members are leaving the church in disgust over child molestation and rigid rules on much needed contraception.

I read an article about a young man that left a Catholic seminary near Washington when he grew tired of being hit on by fellow seminarians. We can only hope that future alter boys in America are safe from these potential predators. If you think my comments are out of line, why were they sexually harassing their fellow seminarian?  I would feel safer for the alter boys in the presence of nuns.