april december american roman catholic nun given choice vatican end religious vows resign position director required support public funding controversy involved belief abortion tragic legal despite vows religious teachings catholic_church graduating college detroit entered religious orders earned doctorate degree served president detroit ran unsuccessfully public office process provoking comment governor michigan appointed lead state social services department confirmed early time vatican officials asked declare abortion department responsible abortion services funded refused statement months confirmation director required vatican decide continue director nun chose vows nun serving appointment inducted education religion born detroit michigan immigrants april fourth children family girls baptized branch finishing detroit east graduated bachelor science degree medical technology chemistry entered sisters mercy assuming september transferring latin rite catholic_church continued education earning master science degree chemistry august took perpetual vows nun motto free faithful entered earned doctorate harmful effect use treatment malaria dangerous eyes authored deposition receiving doctorate returned chicago accepted mathematics coached basketball team studied academic administration ace program began serving president detroit staying position president greatly expanded enrollment facilities doubling number degree programs balancing budget increased served visiting professor public service ran primary election united_states house_of_representatives representing michigan 17th congressional district held august said campaign look politics legitimate extension work sister mercy field democratic_party candidates won seven times votes received picked electorate run office came surprise archbishop detroit time vatican allowed members religious orders hold political office candidate required gain approval local bishop told reporters canon law old set rules invoked somebody wants ignored wants ignore accepted excuse know ask permission general election november incoming michigan governor appointed december michigan biggest agency administrative position involved oversight public health programs including million federal accept appointment asked received permission order asked publicly state opposition abortion said originally gave approval condition follow request personally disapproved abortion knew felt differently determined poor equal access abortion long legal assumed december pending michigan legislative confirmation position hardened resolve february directed sisters mercy determine violation teachings church told detroit sisters leadership longer permission serve state ordered inform resign state appointment detroit spokesman said protest efforts confusing catholics years church teaching human life told disappointed support said question absolute duty stand protect defend doctrine church human life march met leadership directive sisters determined obey greater good involved refused force quit job march confirmed appointment vote said recognize live morally society government respectful morality morality told senate personally abortion tolerate job involving funds hospitals performed women little money march reported situation vatican vatican delegated archbishop address matter sent message national president telling kane convince resign director kane refused vice president sisters mercy union previously president april day 52nd birthday requested formal hearing matter vatican body dealt religious orders april congregation instructed auxiliary visiting rome bishops approach directly require holy virtue obedience immediately resign director time asked received permission leave absence sisters mercy carry state appointment free conflict church sent letter directly communicating intention president kane detroit leaders sisters mercy action unusual catholic bishop normally restricted communications authorities religious order individual members letter told meet person bring local sisters moral support selected detroit sisters mercy order emily george met women told immediately decide resign vows shocked sudden demand minutes contemplated decision finally deep regret sorrow limited freedom signed papers provided requesting perpetual vows leave absence nearly years religious orders gave life nun joined issue joint statement roman congregation religious fear losing authority ignored principle freedom conscience requested sympathetic religious women protest sunday visible witness arrogant use power male dominated church small protests organized chicago washington magazine reported president said pope demand obedience women religious united_states writer added thought correct saying pope doesn understand american people doesn understand american nun divided affair catholic theological society america passed unsuccessful resolution asking dialog simple administrative decisions violate theological meaning authority church conscience church members offered money film rights story life said accept condition money balance michigan state deficit time film rights obtained remained director leadership department error rate dropped lowest levels awarding food stamps funds aid families dependent children increased investigation conviction fraud cases achieved highest national record locating parents collecting child support streamlined office procedures initiated programs teenage pregnancy assist teenage mothers state program victims domestic abuse poverty accepted executive adviser position poor founded mission helping increase health education children living poverty established child care centers detroit named leaps bounds served executive boards including sisters mercy health corporation women economic club position abortion personally disapproved abortion held belief abortion legal equally available women poor rich july unsuccessful political campaign wrote position paper abortion legislation late summer joined leading priests signed position paper titled catholic statement abortion asking catholic discussion abortion requesting religious catholicism sisters mercy 1980s decisions based saw promise freedom conscience described papal said let unity necessary freedom unsettled charity case mercy believed held greater rights simple obedience authority pope relatively quick decisive action signaled retreat liberal mid-1960s illness sisters mercy honor resignation vows continued consider member order discovered breast cancer survived treatment cancer returned decade later spreading bones lungs invited stay center michigan rest home operated sisters mercy facing death said bitter vatican action hurt wanted remembered cared deeply benefits education service concern fortunate death legacy died december aged buried holy cemetery michigan sisters mercy cemetery plot sister president said stopped sister mercy heart stopped thinking way years commitment serving suffer poverty sickness lack education theologian wrote church officials abused authority case brought teaching office author religion editor new_york_times wrote case respects dramatic instance particular nun singled punishment theologian sister mercy professor yale_university said painful truth leave church declared officially member suffering community left quoted saying sister mercy heart absolutely case continued works mercy life
Agnes Mary Mansour