{"id":2891,"date":"2015-06-01T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2015-06-01T00:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=2891"},"modified":"2021-11-26T09:52:17","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T01:52:17","slug":"128-personnel-change-sea-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=2891","title":{"rendered":"129. Personnel Change, Sea Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u201c<span style=\"color: #008080;\">We know that all things work together for good\u00a0for those who love God<\/span>\u201d<\/strong> [<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Romans 8:28<\/span><sup><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">a<\/span><\/sup>, <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>NRSV<\/em>].<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Pope-Francis-meeting-LCWR-leaders.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3117\" title=\"Pope Francis meeting LCWR leaders\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Pope-Francis-meeting-LCWR-leaders.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"867\" height=\"578\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Pope Francis meets with representatives of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious in his library in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican April 16. The same day the Vatican announced the conclusion of a seven-year process of investigation and dialogue with the group to ensure fidelity to church teachings. The outcome resulted in revised statutes approved by the Vatican. (CNS photo \/ L&#8217;Osservatore Romano)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A year and a half into Francis\u2019 papacy, people around the globe continue to sit up, watch and listen to this Pope chosen from the \u201cend of the world\u201d who holds their fascination with his candid addresses and outright rejection of clerical pomposity and arrogance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Personnel in an organization can so drastically affect the institution, the people in it, and far beyond. In ways fundamentally different from before, people, including many Catholics, are beginning to speak of renewed hope for the Church and the world with this change at the helm of the Roman Catholic Church. All this eventually converges in one observable truth: personnel change in an organization can and often does precipitate a sea change, negatively as well as positively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In its September-October 2014 issue, the editorial of the Sojourner magazine comments:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>For Catholics &#8211; and many others &#8211; what happens in Rome doesn\u2019t stay in Rome. The seating of a new pope has the power to affect believers across the globe, in ways direct, indirect, and unpredictable. And when a surprising sea change occurs in a hide-bound, steeped-in-tradition place like the Vatican &#8211; the unexpected resignation of a pope, the selection of a Jesuit from the Americas as his replacement, and the powerful symbolism of a new leader who literally stoops to wash a Muslim woman\u2019s feet &#8211; people of faith of all traditions sit up and take notice.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A recent observable piece of truth has occupied much coffee-corner conversation. It has to do with the recent release of the apostolic visitation report on the Vatican investigation into the life of the American women religious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Six years ago, when the <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2009\/07\/02\/us\/02nuns.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vatican under Pope Benedict announced the investigation, couched in the formal name of \u201capostolic visitation<\/a>\u201d, all hell broke loose. The apostolic visitor was selected from the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" title=\"Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Major_Superiors_of_Women_Religious\">Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious<\/a> (CMSWR), the organization of American women religious whom Vatican favoured for their \u201cconservative\u201d lifestyle and \u201cobedient\u201d postures and who stood in sharp contrast to the spirit of the American Leadership Conference of Women Religious (<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/lcwr.org\/\">LCWR<\/a>). In truth, then, it was the LCWR, representing some 80% of the women religious in America, that rightly felt that <em>it<\/em> was under investigation. Not only were the Sisters whom the investigation affected responded with hurt and anger, huge sectors of the American Catholic laity and, we hasten to add, the world over, were shocked and livid. On account of the on-going colossal clergy sex abuse crisis, and the massive financial mismanagement scandals, not to mention the openly visible malaise of the ordained male population of the Catholic Church that Pope Francis has repeatedly and \u00a0openly spoken against, practically every living Catholic knows deep down that it was the group comprising the ordained officials of the Church that needed to be seriously investigated and thoroughly overhauled. And yet, <em>they<\/em> were investigating the women religious with apparent sense of urgency and relish! The laity we spoke to were not just angry, they were furiously so. For the laity knew well that the women religious were the very hands and feet of Jesus, doing serious work on the ground, including serving the poor and the marginalized. Then, Francis was installed the new Pope, and he told the Sisters to just get on with their good work, rather than get all upset over some small letters from Rome. Soon after that, Jo\u00e3o Br\u00e1z de Aviz from Brazil replaced Cardinal Rod\u00e9 as Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL). Cautious optimism sprang to life. Whispers of hope were heard along with the winds of change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When the final report was released early December 2014, Catholics the world over were delightfully stunned by the sea change since the investigation started six years ago. That sea change is apparent to all, the parties\u2019 conciliatory effort to gloss over the past crisis and immense bad blood notwithstanding. Factually then, the course that the changes took was very telling: as the spirit at the top changed, the tone of investigation changed; then, the change in the degree of collaboration followed suit; and finally, the final report on the investigation left you wondering why the process was so ferociously, highhandedly, and hurtfully instituted in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The authorities did not have to say it in so many words, but thinking Catholics the world over knew that a key to understanding this entire fiasco under the previous administration turned on an insistence on authority and power, submission and obedience, regardless. Marking a sharp departure from the earlier mentality, Cardinal Jo\u00e3o Br\u00e1z said some memorable words: &#8220;Authority that commands, kills. Obedience that becomes a copy of what the other person says, infantilizes.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At the press conference five years ago, Rod\u00e9 single-handedly announced the investigation without having even informed the major superiors of women religious of his intention to do so, much less invited their participation in any way. At the press conference for the release of the final report of the investigation, Cardinal Jo\u00e3o Br\u00e1z appeared in a group of three men and three women: two men from CICLSAL, the Cardinal Prefect himself and the Secretary Jose Carballo, Mother Mary Clare Millea, ASCJ, the director of the investigation, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, who was part of her team represented the Vatican agency which had initiated and carried out the visitation, and the heads of the two conferences of U.S. women religious, Sr. Sharon Holland, IHM, president of <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/lcwr.org\/\">LCWR<\/a> and Sr. Agnes Mary Donovan, SV, coordinator of <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/cmswr.org\/\">CMSWR<\/a>, representing the congregations which had been investigated. The initial secrecy and highhandedness which precipitated the total shock, confusion, and disgust at the investigation\u2019s launch, was replaced by a transparent, civil and accommodating spirit at its conclusion. The participants in this event had all been accorded access to the report beforehand, and the time to thoughtfully formulate their responses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">From the previous symbol of \u201cjust so you know who\u2019s boss\u201d, the world saw a conscious attempt at reconciliation, mutual respect and acceptance. Of course, you then have to wonder what the hell was all that fuss about in the first place!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The atmosphere before the personnel change was confrontational. The Vatican, as usual, was initially bent on showing who was boss; the women religious of the LCWR were ready to show that they, too, had \u201coil in their lamps\u201d to burn through the dark nights as they awaited the light of dawn. While the Vatican officials were perceived as arrogant and dismissive, demanding and authoritarian, the women religious portrayed a picture of spiritual fortitude, righteous defiance and readiness to do battle to defend their integrity and dignity. In the background loomed a distant possibility of the LCWR setting up an alternative structure outside of Vatican and American male hierarchy control should this oppressive, witch-hunting, investigation precipitate in an unbearable outcome. The laity, in the mean time, to the surprise of the Vatican enforcement apparatus, put up a groundswell of support to the Sisters for rightly refusing to surrender their dignity to the \u201cspiritual gangsters\u201d to trample under foot. One media commentary at the time went thus: \u201cThe Vatican soon realized it was picking the wrong fight with the wrong group at the wrong time.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The investigation began on a trajectory that pointed to disaster and utter humiliation for the LCWR as its terminus. The final report was a text that all parties concerned, and beyond, could heartily welcome as positive and conciliatory, a report upon which all could breathe, find hope and move on. An utter disaster for the Sisters and a potential schism has been averted. Personnel change has indeed precipitated a sea change.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/At-the-Press-Conference1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"\" title=\"At the Press Conference\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/At-the-Press-Conference1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"872\" height=\"583\" \/><\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">Press conference on the release of the final report. Credit Andrew Medichini\/Associated Press<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Through this process, the American nuns of the LCWR affiliation have taught us valuable lessons on faithfulness and integrity, courage and civility, spirituality and leadership, and much else. From where we stand, these American women religious have much to offer all gatherings of human persons, be they the families or lay and religious organistaions, the parishes or dioceses, the Catholic Church hierarchy or indeed the world, about leadership. Uncompromisingly, they have taught us what it means to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">remain spiritually grounded at all times, but most particularly when the going gets tough and the situation grinds to a crisis point;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">stay focused on doing what you truly believe you are called by God to do;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">refuse to allow your dignity or anybody else\u2019s to be trampled on by anybody, however high a chair he may occupy;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">work with mutual respect and openness;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">respect human equality and nothing less;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">insist upon genuine dialogue, speaking courageously and truthfully, and listening deeply with a humble spirit;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">utilize skillful collaborative processes towards positive results of healing hurts, de-escalating conflict, and the real prospect of moving forward.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, that Sojourner editorial poses two questions that are staple diet at coffee-corner fellowship:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>How will the spirit of reform that has marked Pope Francis\u2019 first few months in office affect the worldwide church? <\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Will change at the top trickle down to parishes and neighborhoods\u2026? <\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do we have to wait for personnel change to see any real change on the ground?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Copyright \u00a9 Dr. Jeffrey &amp; Angie Goh, June 2015. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You are most welcome to respond to this post. Email your comments to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">jeffangiegoh@gmail.com<\/span>.<\/strong> You can also be dialogue partners in this <em>Ephphatha Coffee-Corner Ministry<\/em> by sending us questions for discussion.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe know that all things work together for good\u00a0for those who love God\u201d [Romans 8:28a, NRSV]. Pope Francis meets with representatives of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious in his library in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican April 16. The same day the Vatican announced the conclusion of a seven-year process of investigation <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=2891\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Dr. Jeffrey &amp; Angie Goh","author_link":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?author=1"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?cat=1\" rel=\"category\">From Our Perspective<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"\u201cWe know that all things work together for good\u00a0for those who love God\u201d [Romans 8:28a, NRSV]. Pope Francis meets with representatives of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious in his library in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican April 16. The same day the Vatican announced the conclusion of a seven-year process of investigation&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2891"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2891"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6842,"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2891\/revisions\/6842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}