A Shout-Out to All the Nuns and Women Religious Out There
Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021.
On Sunday, the pope gave a big shout-out to all the women who spend their lives dedicated to the Church. More on that here, but in the meantime, Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit who’s known for being besties with Stephen Colbert, has some great tweets on common misconceptions about Catholic life—especially the sisters:
To all media: Better to use "nun" only for a cloistered woman religious. Otherwise use "sister" or a "woman religious." #PapalGoofs
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) September 20, 2015 To all media: When referring to a priest in print, the second reference is not Mr. It's Fr. Also Sr. not Ms. And Br. not Mr. #PapalGoofs
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) September 20, 2015 To all media: Catholics will refer to "religious," which means member(s) of a religious order. E.g., "Clergy and religious." #PapalGoofs
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) September 20, 2015