Chicago, Ill., Nov 3, 2009 / 20:33 pm
Responding to the charges that one of its sisters was volunteering as an escort at a Chicago-area abortion clinic, the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation says it has informed Sister Donna Quinn, OP, that her actions are in violation of her vows. The congregation also expressed regret for the controversy and public scandal her efforts have caused.
The Nov. 2 statement says that the congregation’s leadership was informed of Sr. Quinn’s actions several months ago.
“We as Sinsinawa Dominican women are called to proclaim the Gospel through the ministry of preaching and teaching to participate in the building of a holy and just society,” the statement continued. “As Dominican religious, we fully support the teaching of the Catholic Church regarding the dignity and value of every human life from conception to natural death. We believe that abortion is an act of violence that destroys the life of the unborn. We do not engage in activity that witnesses to support of abortion.”
LifeSiteNews.com reported that pro-life advocates at the ACU Health Center in Hinsdale, Illinois recognized Sr. Quinn as a clinic escort after seeing her picture in a Chicago Tribune article.
She is presently a coordinator of the National Coalition of American Nuns, which dissents from Catholic teaching on abortion, contraception, the male priesthood and homosexuality.
She has reportedly called gender discrimination “the root cause of evil in the Church, and thus in the world.” Sr. Quinn has commented that she remains in the Dominican community only for “the sisterhood.”
The Vatican has organized an apostolic visitation in order to “comprehensively assess and encourage the growth” of women religious institutes in the United States.