Pope Francis

Carmelite nuns are one of the last traditional conservative orders of nuns left today. One of their convents was recently 'reviewed' by visitors from Rome who later proclaimed the convent had a year to decide whether to join an order of activist nuns or face closure. Joining us today is Philadelphia-based author and columnist Thom Nickels (thomnickels.blogspot.com). This Carmelite convent issue points to a larger problem within the Catholic Church: that there is a civil war brewing between the conservative, traditionalist arm and the more progressive, get-with-the-times wing. Time will tell how it plays out, but right now the Pope is firmly on one side of the issue.