Nuns in the United States are not what they used to be. Before the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, most—if not all—nuns lived in convents, wore habits, and worked in traditional jobs, like teaching at Catholic schools. These days, however, you can find many an American nun who does not live in a convent, does not wear a habit, and does not have a job traditional to nuns. Several nuns have begun to pursue more professional careers while others have become activist nuns, advocating the ordination of women or allowing priests to marry. With these changes afoot, the Vatican has decided to investigate American nuns. While some Catholics insist that such an investigation is routine and nothing to fuss over, others denounce it as an unwarranted doctrinal inquisition.
Read more here.
Related articles:
Touch and American Religions
By Candy Gunther Brown , Indiana University
(Vol. 4, May 2009)
Religion Compass
Vatican II
By F. J. Michael McDermott
From The Blackwell Companion to the Theologians
Tags: 1960s, America, Catholicism, Convent, gender, habit, monks, nuns, ordination of women, Pope Benedict XVI, religion, religious order, religious studies, Roman Catholic, schools, Second Vatican Council, United States, Vatican, Vatican II
