Vatican Scrutiny Makes U.S. Sisters Uneasy: Uncloistered Religious Communities Questioned About Doctrine, Discipline

A Vatican-ordered investigation into Roman Catholic sisters in the United States, shrouded in mystery when it was announced seven months ago, is shaping up to be a tough examination of whether women’s religious communities have strayed too far from church teaching. The review “is intended as a constructive assessment and an expression of genuine concern for the quality of the life” of about 59,000 U.S. Catholic religious sisters, according to a Vatican working paper delivered in the past few days to leaders of 341 religious congregations.