Radical Grace

The Vatican's negative attitude toward liberal voices—particularly the voices of women—within the Roman church during the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI provides the contextual backdrop for filmmaker Rebecca Parrish's documentary, which serves up portraits of three American nuns who were involved in social justice ministries that brought the umbrella group of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) under the scrutiny (and temporary control) of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 2012. Rome's investigation centered on whether American nuns were defying hierarchical authority by expressing heterodox views about homosexuality, contraception, and the all-male priesthood. Simone Campbell, a member of the Sisters of Social Service and the head of the national social justice lobby NETWORK, led the Nuns on the Bus project, which agitated for the passage of the Affordable Care Act opposed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Christine Schenk, of the Congregation of St. Joseph and then-head of FutureChurch—a group advocating for progressive reform (especially regarding the priesthood)—rallied public support for American sisters by organizing the Nun Justice Project; and the late Jean Hughes, an Adrian Dominican who had long ministered to former prison inmates in Chicago, used the Vatican's action to reflect on her vocation and women's role in the church. Radical Grace continues up through both the 2013 election of Pope Francis, which Schenk watched hopefully in St. Peter's Square, and the agreement reached between the CDF and the LCWR in 2015, which was generally considered a victory for the nuns. A moving tribute to the social zeal of American Catholic women, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)