Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

Vatican seeks to clarify review of US sisters amid criticism of secrecy, true aims. The Vatican defended its review of U.S. women's religious orders on Tuesday amid criticism from the sisters that the process is secretive and amounts to a crackdown.

Study: New members of Catholic orders are more diverse, traditional in belief and practice. Odds are rising that in the coming years, the priest at the neighborhood parish will have roots in Mexico or Vietnam and the sister working at the local health clinic will be dressed in a habit.

Catholic sisters asked about fidelity to church teaching, doctrine in sweeping Vatican inquiry. A Vatican-ordered investigation into Roman Catholic sisters in the U.S., 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 Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, continuing to grapple with a shortage of clergy, is raising the retirement age for priests from 70 to 75. The change is part of a broad, ongoing effort by the archdiocese to find ways to staff its churches with fewer priests. The archdiocese has also closed nearly 20 percent of its parishes over the last five years and has increased the number of priests who are assigned to oversee more than one parish. The archdiocese has also been restricting its benefits for retired priests. The archdiocese announced the change, which is effective Aug. 1, in an e-mail to priests sent July 21 by the Rev. Richard M. Erikson, vicar general of the archdiocese. Erikson said that healthy priests can continue to seek the status of ``senior priest'' at 70, but then will be required to fill in for priests who are sick or on vacation. ``Priests are normally expected (health permitting) to remain in active ministry, as pastor, parochial vicar, or special assignment, until th