January-February 2001

Chittister to address NCEA despite Pittsburgh pullout

Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister will still address an expected 10,000 participants at the National Catholic Educational Association convention in Milwaukee April 17-20, even though her scheduled appearance caused the Pittsburgh diocese to bar its staff and educators from attending.

A cryptic memo Nov. 22 from Fr. Kris Stubna, Pittsburgh diocesan secretary for education, told school principals and catechetical directors that diocesan staff may not attend the Milwaukee meeting, and will not receive paid expenses or continuing education credits if they participate, because the program lacks “completeness and compatibility with authentic church teaching.” NCEA officials told the press that Stubna had specifically objected to Chittister as a speaker.

Chittister will keynote all three CTA National conferences later this year in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago. She will also address Women’s Ordination Worldwide at its first international conference June 29 in Dublin, Ireland.

Chittister told the National Catholic Reporter she deplored the boycott, but guessed at the reason: “I presume my commitment to the ordination of women might be a stumbling block to those who believe, contrary to the experience and proof of history, that theology never develops.” She called Stubna’s action “intimidation and censorship.”

The NCR story of Dec. 22 ignited widespread protests. A story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Dec. 28 reported that local leaders of several orders of nuns opposed Stubna’s directive, and that Stubna now claimed the NCR had misunderstood him. Teachers are free to attend NCEA, and parishes are free to pay their way. But no educational credits will be given. Even that ruling drew fire from nuns’ and priests’ groups. In a letter to the Post-Gazette, Fr. Donald Fisher, chair of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests, said, “People should be encouraged, not discouraged, from hearing Chittister. Teachers are quite capable of making their own decisions as to who is an asset and who is a liability to their faith development.” He said overprotective and fearful church authorities “stunt the growth of the Church’s daughters and sons.”

Chittister’s community urges e-mail to Fr. Kris Stubna at communications@diopitt.org