Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, undersecretary for the dicastery for integral human development, has authored an invited essay for the inaugural issue of Review for Religious journal, which will be released in mid-June. His article is being made available online for non-subscribers.
It is extremely rare to launch a journal these days, but the leadership of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) recognized the need for a forum that explores and supports Catholic religious life – male and female – in the context of our current complex and global society.
There are just over 800,000 sisters, brothers and religious priests worldwide, but relatively few places dedicated solely to the study of religious life or its role within Church and society. The journal and this website are designed to provide a place for this kind of serious discussion and reflection. The editorial board includes men and women religious from a range of academic institutions and fields of study. The print journal is published by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men with the The Catholic University of America Press. Subscriptions can be ordered online.
Cardinal Czerny on Religious Life from Vatican II to Fratelli Tutti
In his article, Cardinal Czerny builds upon a presentation he delivered to religious in the United States via Zoom in January. He explores the development of religious life in Church documents from Vatican II to Fratelli Tutti. He shows how Pope Francis’s teaching, especially in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, is a significant resource for the concerns facing religious life today.
The journal’s editorial board chair, Br. Ernest Miller, FSC, says, “Review for Religious will provide a unique window into Catholic religious life from contemplative monastic communities to active apostolic communities. The journal aims to provide a dynamic and stimulating space that uncovers the hidden and opens up new perspectives on consecrated life and its relationship to God, the church and world.”
The journal features peer-reviewed articles and book reviews, while this website provides a more informal space for contributed essays, art and news around religious life.
An earlier iteration of Review for Religious journal was published under Jesuit sponsorship from 1942-2012. The new Review draws upon this 70-year history while engaging with the contemporary world and into the future.
We are glad you are here. Our hope is that the Review serves as a gathering place for thought, discussion, and unity. We want to create a place where everyone in or interested in Catholic religious life can find something engaging and intriguing.
Editorial Board
The Review for Religious editorial board members are Bro. Ernest Miller, FSC, D.Min., La Salle University (Chair); Sr. Mary Bendyna, OP, Ph.D., Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious; Sr. Maria Cimperman, RSCJ, Ph.D., Catholic Theological Union; Rev. Kevin Grove, CSC, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame; Rev. Daniel P. Horan, OFM, Ph.D., Catholic Theological Union; Rev. Joseph Koterski, SJ, Ph.D., Fordham University; Bro. Patrick Sean Moffett, CFC, Ph.D., Conference of Major Superiors of Men; Sr. M. Maximilia Um, FSGM, JCL, Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George; David Rohrer Budiash, Ph.D., managing editor.
