Canadian religious criticize church on sexual morals, gays, women

Published: 2006-03-08

OTTAWA (CNS) -- Representatives of more than 200 Canadian religious orders have written the Canadian bishops, criticizing the church for being rigid and intransigent on sexual morals and unwelcoming to homosexuals, having a "clerical mentality" and being unwilling to give women decision-making roles. The 26-page letter from the Canadian Religious Conference addressed to the Canadian bishops also said it regretted the bishops' lack of independence from the Vatican. "We hope that our church will position itself closer to the major issues of the world: impoverishment, inequalities, rights and roles of women, defense of the disenfranchised, respect for the environment and the safeguarding of humanity," the religious said in the letter, written in advance of the bishops' "ad limina" visits to the Vatican this year. Heads of diocese makes such visits every five years to report on the status of their dioceses.

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