The assembly resolution process provides LCWR members an opportunity to express their convictions about significant issues and to direct the conference at act on those issues. The formulation of the resolution, which is facilitated by the Global Concerns Committee, is a contemplative process which challenges the entire membership to listen to the cries of Earth and God’s people. Members, meeting in regional groups, engage in prayer, reflection and dialogue that facilitates communal discernment and leads to corporate action. Their communal commitment is affirmed by members meeting at the annual assembly.
Reading the signs of the times from our desire to create communion, we, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, affirm the interrelatedness of the justice concerns addressed by the LCWR Call for 2015-2022. We are heartbroken by the myriad ways our one human family and Earth, our common home, suffer from disconnection, indifference, violence, and fear in the face of racism, migration, and climate crisis.
2018 Recommitment to 2016 Assembly Resolution
In 2016 the Leadership Conference of Women Religious committed to the work of recognizing racism as a systemic, structural cause underlying and contributing to the multiple situations of injustice identified in the LCWR Call. The Global Concerns Committee (GCC) has heard a desire from the membership to go deeper into this critical work. We recommend that we adopt the following statement...
In 2016 the LCWR membership issued a call to recognize racism as a systemic, structural cause underlying and contributing to the multiple situations of injustice identified in the LCWR Call. At the 2016 LCWR assembly, the members amended the 2015 resolution to reflect this awareness. The amended resolution was passed and reads as follows.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) calls upon His Holiness, Pope Francis, to consider deeply how the Church may embody in these times the Christian heart of justice and compassion toward indigenous peoples. We humbly and respectfully ask Pope Francis to lead us in formally repudiating the period of Christian history that used religion to justify political and personal violence against indigenous nations and peoples and their cultural, religious, and territorial identities....
Rooted in the oneness of our love for God and our love for God’s creation, we, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, commit ourselves to use our spiritual, social, and educational resources and our public credibility to promote the national transition from fossil fuel energy sources to renewable energy sources as quickly as possible.
We, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, are compelled to work toward a world where reverence for all living beings finds expression in an approach to life free from violence.
The members of LCWR commit to collaborate in order to abolish human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery.
LCWR calls on Congress to pass the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform that includes the reunification of families and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
As we continue to listen attentively to the experiences of women religious throughout the world and to share their stories, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will identify ways to strengthen our mutual support in living out the Gospel mission.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious will actively seek to strengthen bonds with women religious throughout the world.
Faithful to our calling to foster the interconnectedness of all creation and building on the strength of past resolutions and actions, we, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, resolve to take measurable steps to reduce our congregational/community carbon footprint.
The Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious jointly resolve to bring our own experience and charisms to the current conversation on climate change and into action for justice; to seek concrete ways to curb environmental degradation, mitigate its impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people, and restore right relationships among all God’s creation; and to foster a consciousness of care for God’s creation among all our members, colleagues,...
To celebrate the 2007 Sabbath Year, LCWR members will support our sisters and brothers in poor, debt burdened countries by promoting debt cancellation, especially through participation in the fall 2007 Rolling Fast to call for a congressional hearing on the Jubilee Act. We LCWR members commit ourselves to choose at least two additional concrete actions that will promote the release from debt.
Aware of our call to care for the creation entrusted to us, LCWR members will promote federal and local legislation which is directed to preserving and renewing America’s wetlands and coastal regions and to strengthening Louisiana levees to sustain a category 5 hurricane.
Work for peace by promoting a culture of nonviolence and building a sustainable global community founded on interdependence and the principles of human rights.
Support and engage in health care justice initiatives to secure universal access to health care.
Advocate for legislation to legalize many undocumented persons, change Border Patrol operations on the Mexico border, strengthen due process rights, and restore food stamps to legal immigrants.
Oppose U.S. domination of space for military operations and exploitation of space for U.S. interests and investments.
Advocate for legislation to move people out of poverty in the reauthorization of the 1996 welfare act.
Work for the improvement of the living, working, and environmental conditions of maquiladora workers.
Provide observers to Mexican elections and host Mexican observers to US elections in 2000; in coalition.
Work to insure human rights for immigrant people; educate and advocate on policies and issues affecting families, battered immigrant women, undocumented and documented immigrant people.
Work to cancel the crushing international debt of impoverished countries; participate in Jubilee 2000/USA Campaign; educate members and the public; advocate.
Advocate for the elimination of funding and the closing of the School of the Americas.
Support the gift of immigrant women leaders of diverse ethnic/cultural faith communities; decrease isolation by welcoming these women; exchange learning and gifts.
Educate on human rights from the perspective of women; advocate for ratification of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Engage in corporate witness 8/16/96 opposing the School of the Americas; call members to prayer and fasting; circulate petition; contact Congresspersons and President.
Promote the roles of women through facilitation of and participation in regional gatherings of diverse women, coordinated by Women’s Task Force.
Change unjust structures that oppress people, especially women; share examples at the regional level about addressing wage and salary structures of sponsored institutions, supporting local projects, making alternative investments in housing, involving women of color in leadership (including boards of institutions), encouraging voting in elections, working with NETWORK.
Align with women of the world at the NGO Forum and the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing; work to implement the Plan of Action.
Declare solidarity with immigrants; oppose legislation (e.g., Prop. 187 in California) denying benefits to documented immigrants or preventing undocumented immigrants from obtaining education, jobs, health care and access to social services; urge that the citizenship process be expedited; commit to prayer and fasting in resistance to inhumane policies; promote non-discriminatory acceptance of immigrants in sponsored institutions; educate; encourage corporate stances.
Support the Violence-Free Zone Pledge and circulate it; oppose physical or verbal abuse based on race, creed, gender or sexual orientation; oppose rape, spouse abuse, incest, violence against children; act to reform governments, organizations, institutions doing violence; promote peace; end abuse of earth and its creatures; influence media; protect victims; commit to non-violent conflict resolution.
Call for closing of the School of the Americas; lobby Congress to eliminate funding.
In commemoration of the Fifth Centenary, urge resolving the debt crisis of Latin America (including forgiveness of unjust debt); foster just, participative and sustainable development.
Support Guatemalan refugees in Mexico planning return to their homeland, including rights to a voluntary and collective return, to their original lands, to organization and association, to community life, to accompaniment, to freedom of movement.
Condemn the death penalty; call on states to extend mercy to those sentenced to death.
Oppose changes in rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission which would weaken shareholder rights to file on social issues.
Support the National Debate for Peace in El Salvador urging demilitarization of El Salvador and discontinuing U.S. military aid.
Urge an end to apartheid by supporting economic sanctions against South Africa and filing shareholder resolutions.
Urge an end to U.S. military presence in the Philippines; urge that implementation of the Multilateral Assistance Initiative be directed to land reform and income redistribution.
Endorse planning a National Faith and Resistance Retreat in 1991, including reflection and non-violent action on issues such as the arms race, environment, violence, racism, national security, sexism, patriarchy, poverty, U.S. intervention.
Endorse the INFACT boycott of General Electric; urge halting the production of nuclear weapons
Endorse the Pledge of Non-Cooperation with the employer sanction provision of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA); lobby Congress to amend it.
Support democratic election of president; support the Washington Office on Haiti; educate and advocate about Haiti.
Urge changes in the approval process for Constitutions, including recognition of culture, dialogue, and mutuality.
Endorse the Ecumenical Decade: Churches in Solidarity with Women, 1988-1998, initiated by the World Council of Churches.
Urge implementation of the Pastoral Plan developed by the National Black Catholic Conference.
Thank Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen for his witness to the Gospel during the investigation of the archdiocese of Seattle.
Endorse the MacBride principles; communicate support to U.S. companies operating in Northern Ireland.
Support the sanctuary movement; support religious congregations and churches who declared public sanctuary for Central American refugees; oppose military aid to Central America; support withdrawing troops from Honduras; support extended voluntary departure status for refugees.
Support men’s religious communities who desire full membership for all members, priests and brothers, including the right to hold office.
Support persons suffering with AIDS; address needs of persons with AIDS; support the NCCB task force on AIDS.
Express concern that disciplinary action against Rev. Charles Curran inhibits discussion and academic freedom.
Urge that laity be consulted in the selection of lay auditors at the ’87 Synod on the Laity; urge inclusion of lay experts.
Protest U.S. policies of detention of undocumented persons and deportations without legal counsel.
Protest U.S. policy of constructive engagement; combat racism in the U.S. as well as in South Africa.
Set up consultation panels to assist members in ecclesiastical conflict; affirm the Bishops’ pastoral letter on peace and the methodology used to develop it; urge that the pastoral letter on the economy include effects of militarism.
Denounce U.S. intervention in Latin America; support peace and self-determination; continue to work in solidarity with CLAR.
Gospels, church, signs of the times, charism, response to needs with special attention to the poor and other victims of injustice, ministry of laity, reshaping oppressive social systems, global implications.
Work to change social, economic, and political systems that dehumanize; work for peace and liberation; be open to the Spirit’s call to conversion and action. Specifically: oppose MX missile and neutron bomb; be in solidarity with the poor; work for equality of all, especially women, in Church and society; eliminate racism; affirm self-determination of all peoples, especially in Latin America; work toward conservation and a more equitable distribution of earth’s resources; be sensitive to...