NUN APPEALS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31866, 19 December 1968, Page 2

NUN APPEALS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

(By CAROLE LYDERS) LONDON. Although the principle of equal rights and opportunities for women is gaining general acceptance, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church still looks upon nuns in a far from equal light, an Australian-born nun in Britain says.

Sister Margaret Rowe, a member of the Carmelite community at Bridwell, Cardigan, has appealled to the Church to give women equality and to treat them as mature, responsible adults. “According to the present structure of religious life, a nun has practically no rights, but a great many obligations. Some nuns have become so inured to the present set-up, or merely weary of battering their heads against the stone walls of male prejudice, they have come to believe that in ; entering religious life and taking a vow of obedience, I they renounced their human i rights,” Sister Margaret said I recently. I I “This is impossible because ' rights, obligations and responsibilities are correlative, i We are left under no illusions that we are supposed to retain many responsibilities, and that means we also keep the rights that go with them. “Those who enter religious life forfeit no human rights but they acquire certain others. Any attempt to destroy these, either for the good of the community or the structure, is immoral," Sister Margaret said.

“To say that one who has taken a vow of obedience has given up all rights and therefore cannot have them taken away is untrue. To be told in effect: ‘Don’t ask why; be obedient children, father knows best’ causes personality damage, just as it does in a child treated thus by parents,” she said. Sister Margaret said that the Church was far from being what it should be sociologically, and blamed this on those in authority. “There is still little recognition that institutions are for persons not persons for institutions. It is not fitting that one man, or one woman should suffer so that the prestige of authority, or the structure be maintained," she said.

Women in religious orders were subjected to interference with their private life. The time they rose in the morning, the time they ate and what they wore were all decided by men, and Sister Margaret feels that nuns are qualified to make these decisions.

She also asked if it was fair that a bishop need give no reason for refusing to assess a suggestion put forward by nuns although it was the considered opinion of experienced and highly-qualified professionals. “An order which was

formed 300 years ago to take poverty-stricken young people off the streets to educate them, may decide /that it could be more effective helping addicts or alcoholics, but it may not be allowed to change its rules, and no reason has to be given," she said.

“Many orders formed to deal with problems like these are now duplicating the work of the social services,” added Sister Margaret. “I know of nothing in the scriptures that says women are not equal with men. After all, what are women’s rights but human rights? There was a time when all women were treated the way nuns are still treated by bishops and male superiors—when they were not thought capable of thinking for themselves, choosing friends or books or even writing letters without supervision,” Sister Margaret said.