Now I understand the whole vow of poverty shtick, but if that number is even remotely close to the truth, one simply has to wonder. And one has to wonder, not about the nuns themselves, but the people who set that system up.
I am talking about none other than the Catholic Bishops. Certainly not all, but enough to make an apparent majority in the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, who found it within their hearts to come out against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
From a political standpoint, it was about as ham-handed as one might imagine. It's my belief that the Bishops somehow overlooked two, no three basic facts:
1. The Catholic nuns are considerably more highly thought of than are the Bishops. The Bishops should be capable of figuring out exactly why that is.
2. The current focus by the Vatican on the "quality of life" of American nuns smacks more like taking a cane away from a sightless person. I mean, how can they find a way to take away anything more from the good sisters?
3. With their intense involvement in many of America's top healthcare institutions, the nuns appear to be clearly more knowledgeable (and empathetic) to the problem of real-life health care, than do the Bishops.
This was most apparent in a recent Maureen Dowd NYT column, where her quotes from two pro-life Democrats, Senator Bob Casey (PA.), and Congressman Tim Ryan (OH.), both highlighted the tremendous amount of respect they have for the nuns, particularly so in the field of healthcare.
Casey said "They care for the least, the last, and the lost," adding, "And they know health care."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
