Unveiled: the Hidden Lives of Nuns

[zunshynn]

Vision 2005 had this book, [i]Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns[/i] on their booklist. They said not to be turned off by the racy title... it was a loving and thorough look into the lives of nuns from a journalists perspective. But I got the book today, and just scanning through it, well... She's got interviews with Sr. Jeanine Grammick, she has a section on lesbian nuns, and nuns that would prefer to be priests. Has any one read it? Is it all bad? It seems Vision wouldn't be pushing a heterodox book...

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Yeah... that always looked like a sketchy book to me...

[beata_virgo_maria]

I saw it at the library and after flipping through a few pages I DID NOT read any more. The little that I saw was bizzar.

[benedictaj]

That book.....

I've actually read it. And I was shocked. The journalist had seemingly only interviewed a collection of nuns (ranging from prochoice, wannabe-priests, eco-spiritualists and so on.) who weren't exactly in perhaps the fullest communion with Rome..........I don't know explicit details, but she interviewed a community that I'm sure has been rejected/ignored and told to clean up their act- by the Vatican.

When the author interviews Habited orders (only three in the entire book, out of about 40) she treats them differently..........I read one chapter about the Srs of St Francis of the Mrtyr St George, and the Passionist nuns, but she made them sound......wrong, and bit weird. (For example, mentioning primarily the negative aspects of the cloistered life...I was surprised at the authors distaste for the cloister)

I wouldn't touch the book, but then again....maybe the author is just another misguided soul in need of prayers, just like the rest of us.

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='Oct 4 2005, 06:06 PM']Vision 2005 had this book, [i]Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns[/i] on their booklist. They said not to be turned off by the racy title... it was a loving and thorough look into the lives of nuns from a journalists perspective. But I got the book today, and just scanning through it, well...        She's got interviews with Sr. Jeanine Grammick, she has a section on lesbian nuns, and nuns that would prefer to be priests. Has any one read it? Is it all bad? It seems Vision wouldn't be pushing a heterodox book...
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Don't trust the books sold in the Vision guide. I have found more than one book in there written by a [i]heretic[/i].

[beata_virgo_maria]

[quote name='beata_virgo_maria' date='Oct 4 2005, 06:00 PM']I saw it at the library and after flipping through a few pages I DID NOT read any more. The little that I saw was bizzar.
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Oops! I ment bizarre.

[zabbazooey]

I've heard of it and it SOUNDED interesting. Thanks for warning me guys!

[jgirl]

I think I read the part about the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. They made a big deal about the book because she interviewed the Martyrs and the Passionists in town. I didn't bother reading the other parts because I didn't think it was worth it.

Edited October 5, 2005 by jgirl

[Ora et Labora]

[quote name='beata_virgo_maria' date='Oct 4 2005, 09:31 PM']Oops! I ment bizarre. 
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You can edit your own posts if you don't wait too long

[zunshynn]

It's dreadful! A lot of them refer to God as a woman, and... oh goodness. One of them... has a tabernacle, made to look like a glass hershey's kiss! and one of them said, "i have to be obedient to the superiors in my order, but it doesn't mean I have to be obedient to the larger orders in the Church."

And how is it that there are nuns advocating abortion as there charism?! What bishop is consecrating these women.!

Jesus, by Your Passion and Your Precious Blood, I pray that all of Your Brides will be faithful to You. I pray especially for our active communities. Lord, let their work in the world not take away from their obligation to you. Let them be emblems of orthodoxy, of the Truth, of You. Amen.

[jgirl]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='Oct 5 2005, 11:25 AM']It's dreadful! A lot of them refer to God as a woman, and... oh goodness. One of them... has a tabernacle, made to look like a glass hershey's kiss! and one of them said, "i have to be obedient to the superiors in my order, but it doesn't mean I have to be obedient to the larger orders in the Church."

And how is it that there are nuns advocating abortion as there charism?! What bishop is consecrating these women.!

Jesus, by Your Passion and Your Precious Blood, I pray that all of Your Brides will be faithful to You. I pray especially for our active communities. Lord, let their work in the world not take away from their obligation to you. Let them be emblems of orthodoxy, of the Truth, of You. Amen.
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The one thing we have to be hopeful is that those orders are dying out. God doesn't call people to unhealthy places, and the orders that are vibrant are the ones that are actually faithful to the Church.

It's a shame that so many Sisters have betrayed their foundresses and past Sisters by doing things that are so contrary to the original spirits of the communities.

[zabbazooey]

[quote name='jgirl' date='Oct 5 2005, 11:38 AM']The one thing we have to be hopeful is that those orders are dying out. God doesn't call people to unhealthy places, and the orders that are vibrant are the ones that are actually faithful to the Church.

It's a shame that so many Sisters have betrayed their foundresses and past Sisters by doing things that are so contrary to the original spirits of the communities.
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Amen.

[benedictaj]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='Oct 6 2005, 05:25 AM']It's dreadful! A lot of them refer to God as a woman, and... oh goodness. One of them... has a tabernacle, made to look like a glass hershey's kiss! and one of them said, "i have to be obedient to the superiors in my order, but it doesn't mean I have to be obedient to the larger orders in the Church."

And how is it that there are nuns advocating abortion as there charism?! What bishop is consecrating these women.!

Jesus, by Your Passion and Your Precious Blood, I pray that all of Your Brides will be faithful to You. I pray especially for our active communities. Lord, let their work in the world not take away from their obligation to you. Let them be emblems of orthodoxy, of the Truth, of You. Amen.
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Amen.

[ofpheritup]

[quote name='zabbazooey' date='Oct 4 2005, 10:33 PM']I've heard of it and it SOUNDED interesting. Thanks for warning me guys!
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ME TOO. What about the one called "Stalking the Divine?"

Oh yeah....I almost forgot.

[son_of_angels]

Thanks. Seems to me the Vatican needs to do a serious review of women's religious, and do some excommunicating for the "wolves in sheeps' clothing." Let the heterodox orders die, for "They will see the corpses of those who rebelled against me; for their worm will never die nor their fire be put out, and they will be held in horror by all humanity."

[daugher-of-Mary]

TERRIBLE book. grrr. What upset me most was how they made the Martyrs and the Passionists sound ever so slightly "disturbed"...nothing blatent, but definitely suggestive.

[zunshynn]

[quote name='son_of_angels' date='Oct 10 2005, 04:03 PM']Thanks.  Seems to me the Vatican needs to do a serious review of women's religious, and do some excommunicating for the "wolves in sheeps' clothing."  Let the heterodox orders die, for "They will see the corpses of those who rebelled against me; for their worm will never die nor their fire be put out, and they will be held in horror by all humanity."
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Thankfully they are dying. But it's almost as if they don't realize it.

[sistersintigo]

Stating a fact here, not an opinion:
in the next four weeks, a new spruced-up edition of Cheryl Reed's book will come off the presses, go into the bookstores, and probably get a big PR campaign. The same book, however a new cover with a new and different photo. The new edition has much to do with the fact that "Unveiled" has met with sustained interest in the ten-plus years since the author started the project to begin with. Now, if you wonder why the author (married, with children, and always affiliated with churches outside Catholicism, eg Protestant evangelicals) went after this topic to begin with:
Mrs. Reed posts her responses on the Internet. She has her own website and at least two simultaneous weblogs going. I don't put links here, if you want to go then you can do your own search the way I did.
It is very telling to find Mrs. Reed's remark on what she was doing just before she swerved onto the topic of religious life for women. Mrs. Reed's professional background is investigative journalism, including coverage of serial murders, prostitution, and some other categories of sensational crime. And before she went on the investigation which resulted in "Unveiled,".....wait for it.....she did research on priests who secretly had sexual relations with women, specially focused on priests who were secretly married. To which, I have to say, I am speechless.

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='04 October 2005 - 06:06 PM' timestamp='1128467193' post='746135']
Vision 2005 had this book, [i]Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns[/i] on their booklist. They said not to be turned off by the racy title... it was a loving and thorough look into the lives of nuns from a journalists perspective. But I got the book today, and just scanning through it, well... She's got interviews with Sr. Jeanine Grammick, she has a section on lesbian nuns, and nuns that would prefer to be priests. Has any one read it? Is it all bad? It seems Vision wouldn't be pushing a heterodox book...
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It's been a long time since I consulted Vision for anything, but I remember when I was discerning religious life I stopped utilizing them because of some similar experiences... I just wish I could remember exactly what they were now.

[frugaldreams]

Yes, she is a clearly biased author. I visited with the Passionists in St. Louis and stayed with them for a week. They are truly wonderful nuns and wouldn't hesitate to recommend their community to others. They are very austere but so joyful. I got the book because I knew the community was featured and was very saddened by the way she described them. The facts were right for the most part, but the spirt was inaccurate and mean spirited.