Being a Catholic nun takes several things: A love of God, discipline, obedience(as do priests and brothers). Dowd misses the point. Most nuns are TRUE feminists, not the harridan ones of the 70's and 80's.

Very clever title. Attack Catholicism when there is a religion that kills women for having a brain of their own. Makes her seem silly and maybe a little "off," doesn't it?

Yo, Maureen, if it's really that bad for nuns then these women may speak with their feet, renounce their vows and leave the convent. Wonder how it is if a woman renounces Islam???

Then she writes: "In 2004, the cardinal who would become Pope Benedict XVI wrote a Vatican document urging women to be submissive partners,....". Yeah, Maureen wouldn't want to be a submissive partner, unless of course it just happens to be with a certain POTUS we all know.

"Maureen wouldn't want to be a submissive partner, unless of course it just happens to be with a certain POTUS we all know."

Got that right.

Progressive liberalism runs counter to the nature of the Catholic church, which derives it's conservative nature from the scriptures.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. -- Hebrews 13:1

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. -- James 1:17

It seems progressives have to accept conservatism if they are going to be happy in the kingdom of God.

"Maureen wouldn't want to be a submissive partner, unless of course it just happens to be with a certain POTUS we all know."

It's OK with me if MoDo wants to put on her presidential kneepads and do the Lewinsky with the POTUS.

The problem is that she wants us to do it, too.

Seeing Nuns in their habits has always given me a warm feeling, that they love God so much and are willing to give up so much in this life for Christ. But compare that, the voluntary discipleship of the nun with the forced wearing of the hijab by Muslim women wherein they can get zero credit even for modesty since they are not wearing it by choice. They look positively scary in those coverings especially in the free West where they have no place at all except to signify Islam is here and it will NEVER assimilate.

How brave of Maureen Dowd to criticize Catholicism, despite all the death threats and bomb threats she must get! Oh wait...I'm confused. These days those death threats and bomb threats to journalists come almost always from Islam, don't they...Well then I guess the brave Maureen must write a great deal about the oppression of women in Islam, right?

She hasn't? What??? Oh. Is that because criticism of Islam really requires bravery? Is that because Muhammad said, such things as "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." (from Sahih Bukhari, the most canonical of traditions of the sayings and deeds of Muhammad)

In Qur'an Chapter 4, Verse 34, we read

Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

The most common translation of that line does not use the word "scourge," by the way. The most common translation is "beat." Beat the disobedient women, says the Qur'an. But Maureen is too busy and too "brave' to go into such things.

Maureen,

"A mouth is a terrible thing to waste."

MoDo the DoDo.

Ms. Dowd is surely confused. They are a "dwindling group" averaging age 70 precisely because of THEIR uber-leftism. The Orders of women religious which are growing, such as the Domincan Sisters of Mother Mary of the Eucharist, wear the traditional habit, assume teaching or nursing charisms rather than political roles, keep to communal living in poverty, obedience and chastity. If Dowd's agenda were the well-being and flourishing of Catholic Orders of women religious, then she would be championing the "uber-conservative".

And on top of all that it;s old news....months old.

Does anyone else find it strange that alleged "liberals/progressives" are neither when it comes to women's rights? (Or the advancement of minorities for that matter.)

It seems the only liberal/progressive tendency they show is when access to our wallets/purses is being discussed.

Reading Mo Do is complete waste of time; I gave it up for lent, some time ago.

Here is a good article about Maureen and her irk....