For the past few months, the LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) has been gearing up for an annual convention in St. Louis (my home diocese), where they'll have a keynote by Barbara Marx Hubbard.
Google finds some interesting tidbits about Hubbard:
"Agents of conscious evolution training." — her newest course, offered via her site.
"Birth 2012; Cocreating a planetary shift. It is time to activate a new era of human possibility and potential!" — Also from her site.
"Conscious evolution is the evolution of evolution, from unconscious to conscious choice. While consciousness has been evolving for billions of years, conscious evolution is new. It is part of the trajectory of human evolution, the canvas of choice before us now as we recognize that we have come to possess the powers that we used to attribute to the gods." — From her site's description of 'conscious evolution'.
"Dr. Hubbard is working to understand and catalyze the actions needed to navigate a quantum change to avoid global collapse. She is also working on the synthesis of the principles and practices of Conscious Evolution and New Thought with Reverend Jim Lockard. She is a founder and member of the Santa Barbara Conscious Evolution Community. She is initiating the SYNCON Process, for synergistic convergence to overcome the polarization in the United States by..." — Bio on Enlightenment Next.
I could go on linking to and quoting a variety of descriptions of Barbera and her work, but even taking about a minute to research her work and foundations, it's apparent she would not be a good fit for a keynote at a Catholic event.
At least she uses Drupal!
The LCWR is being investigated by the CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith), and things like having Hubbard headlining their annual conference does not help their standing.
I typically avoid commenting on issues like this, because I know how easy it is for people's feelings to get hurt, but sometimes things get so ridiculous that I can't stand being silent. It seems our Archbishop will be showing his support for the event by delivering an opening greeting. I'm not a bishop, nor a statesman, but I just don't see the logic in giving support to such an event. Simply allowing the event would be enough to make me nervous; attending and welcoming the guests seems like a stamp of approval.
If we want to save the LCWR from losing their standing in the Church, I suggest we do so by first praying for them, and second calling them out on their poor selection of a keynote speaker. You wouldn't ignore the speck in your friend's eye if you could help that friend remove it and live a better life, would you? (Of course, you should also be working on the plank in your own eye.)