This is sick. Sister Joan Chittister, who often makes ridiculous statements, eulogized radical feminist theologian Mary Daly and in doing so writes one of the most disgusting things I’ve read in a while. Sr. Joan compares Daly, who renounced the Catholic faith, to the Virgin Mary.
Chittister wrote in the National Catholic Reporter:
From where I stand, a person’s influence is measured, not so much by virtue of their effect on the institutions that bred them, but by their influence on those who never knew them at all. It is the women who never knew Daly but now know the things she knew that are the real evidence of her legacy, her impact, her meaning not only to this generation but to generations to come. As in “all generations shall call her blessed.”
Yup. She went there.
Daly once compared the Virgin Mary to a “rape victim.” Daly was fired from Boston College for refusing to teach men. Daly was pro-birth control and called abortion a “complex” issue. Daly advocated lesbianism.
And Chittister compares her to the Virgin Mary?
This is disgusting. Has Sr. Joan Chittister no sense of the sacred?
As Carl Olson writes at Ignatius Insight:
…at least Daly had enough integrity to leave the Church. At least she didn’t attack, mock, and undermine Catholic doctrine while living off of the Church. However disgusting her writings are, I don’t think Daly was a hypocrite. And I think its fair to guess she would have hated—truly hated—being eulogized with words meant for the Blessed Virgin. Meanwhile, what does it say about Sister Joan Chittister that she has more respect and admiration for Mary Daly than for Mary, the Mother of our Lord?
January 22, 2010 at 3:23 pm
And yet the Church will do nothing. We get what we deserve.
January 22, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Come on, please! Whoever takes anything Joan Chittister writes or says seriously any more. Like Mary Daly, Joan has fired off whatever rounds she had in her blunderbuss, and nows preaches to a rapidly aging and dying choir of supporters, or upsets those too young and inexperienced to yet recognize her delusional thinking for what it is.
With our prayers, Joan will do just fine in her eternity of group therapy and day room scrabble games.
January 22, 2010 at 3:34 pm
The image of Sr. Joan shooting her heresy loaded blunderbuss made me smile. Good one.
January 22, 2010 at 4:34 pm
"Has Sr. Joan Chittister no sense of the sacred?"
Of course she does. I'm sure she considers satan to be very sacred…
January 22, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Ideas like these show a desolate spiritual life and not much rationality either.
January 22, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Lord forgive me the lack of charity, but I cannot call Ms Chittister "sister". With all her extracurricular activities (see http://www.benetvision.org/vitaJoan.html), does she even have time for silent prayer and perhaps even a Rosary or novena? The woman is a dissident. At least Mary Daly was honest enough to leave the Church instead of trying to destroy it from within and scandalize the faithful. Mater Admirabilis, ora pro nobis!
January 22, 2010 at 6:05 pm
does ANYONE have Joan Chittister's email address?
even snail mail
we need to let her know what we think.
January 22, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Read the comments at the Distorter. Either they're moderated, or there are still way too many people who are still in a circular back-patting club, congratulating themselves on their enlightened disdain and anger.
January 22, 2010 at 9:33 pm
"From where I stand, a person's influence is measured, not so much by virtue of their effect on the institutions that bred them, but by their influence on those who never knew them at all." – Chittister
This is really a strange thing to say and shows how out of touch Chittister is. Daly and her ilk have shown no lasting influence within the Church or in society. Nobody cites their works, nobody quotes them except to explain why they're writing their eulogy and only Chittister seems to have fond memories of her coreligionist.
January 23, 2010 at 5:13 pm
What(dis)order is she in???
January 24, 2010 at 3:21 am
Why is this woman still considered a sister? Is it wrong/sinful of me to want to smack her upside the head? The audacity, the gall of her to compare the Daly dissident to our Blessed Mother enrages me — but I guess that's what "Sister" Joan wanted it to do. It's probably no coincidence that she is based in Erie (eerie!), PA. Anywhere she'd be, though, would be scary.
January 24, 2010 at 5:56 pm
First I couldn't believe how much therapy some people need.
Then I went to the N'C'R and read some comments.
Now I can believe it…
January 25, 2010 at 9:26 am
This is just what i would expect out of Joanie. A few years ago I came across her commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict that she, as a Benedictine, is supposed to be operating under. You can imagine the way she spun that. Everything she has done is the complete opposite of what St. benedict wrote.
January 25, 2010 at 2:34 pm
No wonder those like her don't want the Apostolic Visitation! I mean they might actually have to live up to their vow of obedience…that will be novel as they have not done so in a very long while!
I wish they would return to the proper observance of their vows and full obedience to Jesus.
Regards maryclare 🙂
May 2, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Do any of you actually THINK about anything, or is it just "this isn't what we've always been told!!! She must be the devil!!!"? What measured, intelligent, thoughtful responses from all of you. VERY reasonable.
There is NOTHING in her statement that says she has "more respect" for Daly than she does for The Virgin Mary. NOTHING. Carl Olson's statement is based on pure fiction, and all of the sheep go running to support it.
Are you, "maryclare" SO inept that you can't grasp the difference between a "vow of obedience to God" as opposed to obedience to some fallible human beings sitting in an office. Show one thing in the Bible that comes from God that she's not been "obedient" on. Just one. Show me ONE anti-abortion verse. She me ONE that says women don't count for as much. Show me ONE verse that says the church should be the rule by which government functions. Just ONE.
"Anonymous" asks if it's wrong to smack her upside the head…YES. What a great Christian YOU are huh? Clearly you're in a position to feel worthy of judgment of others. How morally superior you obviously are. I can see how you came to that conclusion, what with all of the physical assault that Jesus took part in and encouraged. You're SO right.
Is "Al" some sort of expert on what Benedictine nuns are supposed to be doing that he can say she "spun" it (reading about the order doesn't make you an authority on it)?
"Rick" says that her ideas "show a desolate spiritual life"…really? Because she shows respect for another human being, even though that other human being didn't agree with the church, she has a desolate spirituality? Yeah, THAT'S rational. Jesus Christ NEVER said people should do such a thing, did He?
And it's incredibly interesting when lay people assume that they must know SO much more about the religion, the readings, the teachings, etc. than those who have actually devoted their entire lives to it. How many of you are experts on ANY of this? You think because you go to church once a week & have read the Bible that you know more about all that Catholicism encompasses than a nun? What hubris. That pride & self-importance is another fine example of how Christ-like you all REALLY strive to be, isn't it?
This entire thread is nothing short of an outlet for the sanctimonious to be outwardly judgment towards another human being, which is EVERYTHING Christ told you NOT to do. What hypocrites! Shame on ALL of you. Every word you spoke here was NOTHING like what Christ would have said. Read your Bibles again and try finding ONE thing that supports the idea that He would have responded the way you just did. Try to find ONE verse that supports your place on this earth to judge. Who among you are God? Who among you has the position to act as judge? I can give you a LIST of verses that says quite the opposite, and tells you all to specifically do the opposite of what you all just did.
"Shame, shame, shame on those who mask as good what in reality is simply a new kind of human way to make ourselves "like gods" when we were all taught that what we are really supposed to be are other Christs."