I wanted to make sure you saw the letter that some women who love the Catholic Church and her teachings organized put online yesterday. Since midday yesterday, it’s gathered about 15,000 signatures and counting. The goal of it is to get it to the Holy Father as a plea to help us in trying to know what went wrong so that we can get things right. In reads, in part:

We are Catholic women deeply committed to our faith and profoundly grateful for Church teachings, the Sacraments, and the many good bishops and priests who have blessed our lives. Our hearts are broken, our faith tested, by the escalating crisis engulfing our beloved Church. We are angry, betrayed and disillusioned. The pain and suffering of the victims never ends, as each news cycle brings more horrific revelations of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, cover-ups, and deceit — even at the Church’s highest levels.

Some of us original signers include seminary professors who live and breathe the formation of priests. Others are mothers who have prayed for vocations. All wanting to be a part of the reform of Christ’s Church and are watching as unanswered questions are turning into utter chaos.

I do happen to know that the pope is not uncomfortable with chaos. He knows these neuralgic debates on the most contentious issues have gone on in ideological and theological silos and behind the scenes for too long. And not confronting them, being honest about them, has contributed to the current crisis where men who have not kept their focus on Christ and His laws and the joy and the love of the Gospel have done demonic things.


But given the gravity of evil and the former nuncio to the United States issuing a list of accusations, the situation cries out for some clarity here.

Here’s the whole letter which Catholic women who love the Church and her teaching are welcome to sign. Here are some additional comments I made about it. And I talked with CBS about it here yesterday, too, right before it was issued (before so many thousands signed on).