The loooooong awaited report from the Vatican to religious sisters is reportedly a puff piece. I don’t really care. I don’t even really care enough to read the actual document.

I just can’t really bring myself to care about any of it. Look, twenty years ago an investigation and apostolic visitation may have had some relevance. It might have guided religious sisters in the U.S. away from the precipice they were happily barreling towards. But let’s face it, most orders in the U.S. went Thelma and Louise a while ago. They’re over the cliff. You’ve seen the numbers.

The total number of religious sisters in the U.S. has reportedly fallen from about 180,000 in 1965 to about 50,000 in 2014. And there’s more sisters over 90 than under 60 years of age. That’s a cliff. A steep one. For many of the orders that have gone off the deep end, it’s last one out roll up the yoga mats time. Fold up the Ouija board and turn out the lights.

There are reports (though conflicting) that some of the more traditional orders have seen an increase in vocations. If we will ever again see a large increase in the number of religious sisters I’m betting they’ll spend more time in adoration of the Eucharist than on buses screaming about Congressman Paul Ryan.

*subhead*Yawn.*subhead*