The Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog is cracking down on a group that represents nuns in the United States.
The Vatican office said Wednesday it is ordering a five-year reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. The group is being cited for taking positions contrary to church teaching on abortion and other issues — and sometimes in opposition to the American bishops.
The report specifically cites a social justice group associated with the conference called NETWORK that played a key role in supporting the Obama administration's health care overhaul despite the bishops' objections. The Vatican review began in 2008 and makes no direct mention of the health care debate.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious is based in Maryland and represents most religious sisters in the United States.
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