by Joshua J. McElwee
The head of the group of U.S. sisters which has come under harsh Vatican scrutiny is to appear in a rare interview on a popular NPR radio program Tuesday.
Franciscan Sr. Pat Farrell, the president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), is set to appear on the popular NPR program "Fresh Air," according to the program's Twitter feed.
The program, produced by radio station WHYY in Philadelphia, is known for its extended interviews between guests and host Terry Gross.
The interview comes nearly three months after the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released an official critique of the sisters' group, which represents some 80 percent of U.S. women religious.
In a document known as a "doctrinal assessment," first released April 18, the Vatican congregation said there was a "prevalence of certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith" in the group's programs and ordered it to revise and place itself under the authority of three bishops.
Since first announcement of the news, there has been a wide showing of support for the sisters, with vigils being held in cities across the country and a number of news outlets expressing support.
Two separate resolutions supporting the sisters' work have also been proposed in Congress, with a resolution in the House of Representatives gaining support of 174 members.
The Twitter feed of the NPR program this afternoon included a short notice of the interview and provided links to the LCWR website and to the Vatican's official "doctrinal assessment" of the group as "background reading for tomorrow."
No word on the length of the interview, or what Gross and Farrell will discuss. Look to NCR for a link to the full interview once it's available.
