This may be a straw man against Catholic culture, and it might have been true in early American Protestant culture, but Catholics have had a theology on vocations of life for over a millennia…
The author seems to be trying to use monastic life and whatever fraternal friendships might arise between members of monastic orders as an vaguely salacious instrument to attack the sole legitimacy of marriage understood as heterosexual union naturally ordered toward procreation and raising of children, and she seems to do this by manufacturing precedent. According to a Catholic understanding, monastic life in no way undermines these notions.
Strange article.
> Strange article.
since it's actually a completely predictable article within the genre of "poorly formulated revisionist history used to spin supporting arguments for my particular 'modern' outlook" ...
This is one of the reasons for the evisceration of convents following vatican II. Whereas before women who entered the convent were seen as holy, and in a superior vocation to the laity, Vatican II 'laicized' them and made them like everyone else. Without the special status, the women left.
It's quite far reaching. For example, Mother Abbesses would be considered on par with bishops in terms of their 'position' in the hierarchy, and could even hear confessions from her subjects, even if she could not impart the sacraments.
People think Vatican II elevated the position of women in the church, but it didn't. It elevated the position of married women, in the same way it elevated the position of married men, who were heretofore considered to be in an inferior vocation to both priests and nuns and brothers.
Note the inferiority/superiority is of the vocation, not of the person. All persons are equally unworthy of God's grace, but he gives it anyway.
> celibate in the priesthood or in religious life is superior.
This is still the case. JPII even repeats this in one of his books (possibly "Love and Responsibility", can't remember atm).
> Without the special status, the women left.
I don't think this is the reason. In any case, celibacy is not the abdication of motherhood or fatherhood. We are all called to motherhood and fatherhood. In the case of the celibate religious, those are expressed in a spiritual way. One becomes a spiritual mother or father.
> Mother Abbesses [...] could even hear confessions from her subjects, even if she could not impart the sacraments.
This is certainly not the case[0]. I mean, you can tell anyone anything you like (though obviously prudence is needed here), but only priests can confer the sacrament of penance. So what would be the point of hearing a confession if you could not offer absolution?
The actual confession is not a requirement to receive absolution. One receives absolution during last rites as well without a confession. The sacrament of reconciliation can also be celebrated communally with absolution offered to all gathered with no confession.
I said mother abbesses could hear confession, I never said they could confer absolution which is sacramental. I believe all religious communities, even male ones, confess to one another as the new testament command. Confession to others, not just a priest, is a good spiritual practice.
> This is still the case
I am of the opinion that the emphasis is such a material break from reality that the original teaching is not kept.
From Wikipedia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbess)
Abbesses are, like abbots, major superiors according to canon law, the equivalents of abbots or bishops (the ordained male members of the church hierarchy who have, by right of their own office, executive jurisdiction over a building, diocesan territory, or a communal or non-communal group of persons—juridical entities under church law).