The Vatican's investigation of U.S. nuns ended in Rome Dec. 16, 2014. The apostolic visitation, as it is called, commenced under Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Initially, the investigation created fear, anger and mistrust among women in religious communities and convents across the United States while prompting protests from outraged Catholics. The conclusion was a largely positive report that acknowledged the achievements and challenges American nuns' experience.
"I think this inquisition has to have an apology to all women and then they also have to turn around and give women full membership," said Chicago's Sister Donna Quinn on the matter. "You will never find a group as dedicated, gifted, and willing to work as you do women in the church. I do believe this report, this interrogation, investigation was one more sign of their abuse that they continue in this church."
Quinn is one of the voices still outraged by the questioning report. Quinn is a feminist activist and coordinator of the National Coalition of American Nuns ( NCAN ), a member organization of Women-Church Convergence.
NCAN was founded in Chicago in 1969 and has stood for social and structural change inside and outside the Catholic Church and is focused on the idea women should be fully welcomed into the church.
Quinn's work is geared toward LGBT and women's rights, full autonomy for women and abolishing gender abuse.
"The issue that I have come to see is reproductive rights or justice for women," Quinn stated. "If a woman does not have full reproductive autonomy, she will never have full autonomy."
Quinn was brought up in a Catholic parish and in a home that embraced serving others. She credits learning her justice work from her parents. Both had a large hand in aiding the poor. Her interest in women's advocacy came from the affirmation from her family and watching the civil rights movement in the '60s along with the women who worked for the right to vote.
"I really believe the spirit calls each one of us to something special with our lives," Quinn said, with some emotion. "We're given gifts by the spirit and we're asked to use them to make this earth better for those who come after us. I can't imagine doing anything else."
Vatican scrutiny continues with a separate review of the Leadership Conference of Religious Women, an umbrella group representing about 80 percent of American nuns.
"My community is the feminist movement," she said, explaining women want full membership in the Catholic Church. "It's more my community than any other community. We're trying to do away with discrimination of any kind and the only reason I continue working the Catholic tradition is I believe it is still influential around the globe. It's one of those structures, along with government and other religions that put women down."
The Vatican usually orders an apostolic visitation in the case of a serious problem or scandal, however there was no clear event or cause in this situation. The investigation is said to be spurred after some Vatican officials and U.S. bishops expressed concern that some American nuns had adopted a secular mentality and been infiltrated by what one official at the time called "radical feminism."
The report draws on interviews and questionnaires regarding various aspects of American nuns' lives such as numbers and mission, prayer schedules, living arrangements, financial assets and property. It was also found there are about 50,000 nuns in the United States, which is lower than in the peak during the mid-'60s.
The investigation reached about 350 religious women's communities. All of the religious communities in the U.S. responded in some way to the investigation, even if they declined to participate.
"It shows they're not in touch with what's going on in the world because they wondered why we're not increasing vocations and why we're not chanting choir and living in convents and wearing full garb," Quinn listed. "It shows not only a disrespect of what we've decided for our lives, but it also shows they're not in touch with what's going on in their own church from women and what's going on in the world."
Quinn refused to partake in the investigation, saying she would have no part in answering questions about her life, work and personal decisions. She has not suffered any repercussions for this refusal.
"I think so many of the women who did participate spoke out loud and clear that this should not have happened," Quinn added. "This can only be seen as a vicious attack on a group of women who, we as women, have done ALL the work of the church."
The report concluded by citing Pope Francis' call "to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the church."
"I can't understand any woman in the church giving a docile applause for ending this investigation," Quinn said. "We don't have full membership in this church."
India elects first
third-gender mayor
A third-gender candidate made history by winning the mayoral elections in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh Municipal Corporation by defeating the nearest rival from the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ), according to the Huffington Post India.
Madhu Kinnar, who contested as an Independent candidate, won the election by 4,537 votes against BJP's Mahaveer Guruji. Kinnar, 35, belonged to the Dalit community, and is the first person from the third gender to get elected to the post.
Kinnar isn't India's first transgender mayor, as two other successful candidates before her were disqualified by courts because those posts were reserved for women.
In 2014, India's top court recognized the country's transgender community as a third gender in a landmark judgment.
The original article is at www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/01/05/madhu-kinnar_n_6415540.html .
