A keenly-awaited Vatican report prompted partly by concerns over a secular mentality among some Roman Catholic nuns in the US praised them yesterday for their social and educational work but urged them to stick closely to Church teachings.

The report, largely conciliatory in tone, is the result of an investigation launched in 2008 after some Vatican officials and US bishops voiced concerns over the nuns.

One official suggested they had been infiltrated by “radical feminism”. The inquiry, begun during the papacy of former Pope Benedict, involved 341 religious orders and about 50,000 nuns.

Sr Sharon Holland, a leading US nun, told a news conference presenting the 12-page report that it had “an encouraging and realistic tone”.

The Vatican officials had suggested some nuns did not fully espouse Church teachings against abortion and homosexuality and that some had become too involved in political issues. But yesterday’s report made no reference to any specific criticism and did not dwell on the controversy over the investigation, officially known as an ‘Apostolic Visitation’.

It said US orders of nuns “should carefully review their spiritual practices and ministry to assure that these are in harmony with Catholic teaching” and urged them not to “displace Christ” while going about their social work. But it also praised them for “selflessly tending to the spiritual, moral, educational, physical and social needs of countless individuals, especially the poor and marginalised”.

The report acknowledged that a number of nuns during the investigation had expressed the need for greater recognition of the role nuns play in the Church and felt women should have more input into decisions that affect them.

Pope Francis, who met a delegation of US nuns yesterday, has promised to appoint women to decision-making roles in the Vatican.

The report said US nuns faced big challenges because their average age was now in the mid-70s and fewer women were becoming nuns.

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