Sister Rupp, spiritual writer, receives U.S. Catholic Award

Published: 2004-09-20

CHICAGO (CNS) -- The Catholic Church has an overabundance of masculine energy that needs to be balanced with more feminine approaches, Servite Sister Joyce Rupp told nearly 200 attendees at a reception honoring her with the 2004 U.S. Catholic Award. Since 1978, the award has been presented annually by the editors of U.S. Catholic magazine for furthering the cause of women in the church. Sister Rupp, a spiritual writer and retreat leader, used the Chinese terms "yin" and "yang" to compare and contrast the approaches of men and women. "A yang, or masculine, approach is organized, structural and concrete: 'Here is the information. I have found the facts,'" she said in her remarks Sept. 8. "A yin, or feminine, approach looks at a theme or topic from many angles, reflects upon it from one's lived experience and then presents it to the group. It never acts like it has the final answer." While noting that the church needs both the yin and yang approaches -- information and lived experience -- Sister Rupp said she sees an imbalance. "There is such a predominance of yang energy in church leadership right now," she said. "Yin energy has almost been snuffed out, but I see women refusing to let this yin energy go the church's graveyard."

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .