Women leaders of Oceania and Asia express solidarity

Thank God for the National Catholic Reporter! Without it I doubt I would have learned of an extraordinary statement of solidarity that recently emerged from a meeting in Thailand. As NCR reports in the October 30th issue, “in a symbolic and bold move, 113 women religious leaders from 17 Asian and Oceania nations today issued a statement of solidarity with U.S. women religious who are facing two Vatican investigations.” NCR goes on to report that:

The official AMOR statement, short and to the point, is addressed to “our sisters of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious” and reads: “We, 113 women religious from 17 countries, representing the conferences of major superiors of Asia-Oceania, are participating in AMOR XV (Asia-Oceania Meeting of Religious ) in Samphran, Thailand, from the 13-21 October 2009. The theme of this assembly is ‘Jesus Encounters the Syro-Phoenician Woman: Called to Move Beyond.’ Through your leadership conference, we are aware of the journey that many congregations of religious in the United States are going through. We offer you our solidarity and prayers.” It was signed by the AMOR XV executive committee and approved unanimously by a show of hands from the group.

That short statement may not seem like much, but in the context of the visitation and the dynamics many of these women face in their own countries, it was a bold and powerful gesture.