If U.S. women religious need voices in their defense, U.S. Catholic readers are happy to testify. Not only do they sing the praises of sisters who have taught and continue to inspire them, they are asking their own questions about the Vatican investigation.

It's hard to say which reaction from U.S. Catholic readers is stronger: their admiration and gratitude for women religious, or their suspicion and anger about the investigative visitation of U.S. nuns by the Vatican.

Probably the admiration and gratitude. Though they're pretty mad, too.

An online survey of U.S. Catholic subscribers and website visitors about the Vatican visitation and doctrinal assessment of U.S. women religious elicited a record 1,700 responses and passionate, lengthy comments. Visitors came from all over the Internet-from both liberal church organizations and conservative Catholic blogs-to take the survey.

While a portion of Catholics want to see the sisters reined in, the vast majority of survey respondents, and especially U.S. Catholic subscribers (see note), sing the praises of the women who have taught, inspired, challenged, and served as role models for generations of U.S. Catholics.

"These wonderful women have influenced me in profound ways," says Amy Florian of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who adds that her grade school teachers were "fascinating, fun, loving people who accepted me and nurtured me when I was a bit of an outcast."

In high school religious women helped ground her spiritual and prayer life, and as an adult, Florian continues to be challenged and inspired by their public witness. "They formed my thinking about what a deep relationship with God means," she says. "They modeled discipleship, tolerance, and Christian living."

Nearly all survey respondents (95 percent) say they are personally acquainted with a woman religious. For U.S. Catholics, sisters are not the habited parodies of popular culture; they are teachers, co-workers, family, and friends. They feed the hungry, serve the poor, and work for justice.

They also bring a unique feminine perspective to church matters. "They show that women have as much to offer church and society as men and that women are quite competent to be in leadership in the church in the same way and in the same roles as men," says Vincentian Father Louis Arceneaux of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Several priests, brothers, and deacons who responded to the survey credit women religious with inspiring their vocations and aiding them in their intellectual and spiritual growth. "I am a priest today because of their joy, their hopes, their dreams, and their truth that all of us can make a difference in the world today, no matter what state of life one chooses," says Father James P. Kiesel of Baltimore.

On the value of women religious, laity and clergy seem to agree. Bradley A. Leger of Estherwood, Louisiana called them "wonderful educators, gifted spiritual directors, and courageous prophets," while Kathleen Stutler of Covington, Kentucky admires their "courage, professionalism, and dedication to ministry-especially when times are difficult."

And times are difficult. Not only are orders of religious women facing the dual challenges of aging members and declining recruits, now the Vatican is conducting an investigation that has many worried that the hierarchy wants to "effectively roll back Vatican II," as J. M. Doyle of Bozeman, Montana says.

Cardinal Franc Rodé, the head of the Vatican office overseeing religious orders, told Vatican Radio in early November that the visitation's purpose is to examine a "secularist mentality" and "feminist spirit" among American women religious, although a previous statement from him had insisted that the investigation was only looking out for their quality of life.

U.S. Catholic readers aren't buying that. More than half of survey respondents say the apostolic visitation and doctrinal assessment are "insulting and unjust." Fewer than one third of respondents-and just one eighth of subscribers-see it as "reasonable and justified" or necessary.

Those who approve of the investigation believe it's necessary "to ensure that those religious who are representing the Catholic community do just that," as a Houston woman says. A Morton Grove, Illinois reader finds it reasonable, "as long as the examination is conducted with a fair, honorable outcome in mind, and our women religious are treated with the respect they deserve."

Others aren't sure the process will be fair. They say it's a "power play," "harassment," "a vendetta," a "dog-leash correction," an "unnecessary display of power," "a modern-day Inquisition," and "a big waste of time and money." And those were some of the more charitable responses.

"These investigations were started by men who are afraid of the wisdom and power of women and have lost sight of the teachings of Jesus," says Mary Anne Seymour of Tuscon, Arizona.

Some speculate that the Vatican is attempting to deflect attention from other critical issues facing the church, such as clerical sexual abuse. Others see it as sexism. "I think they resent the independence and outspokenness of American women religious," says Mary Michael Swet of Estero, Florida.

While the Vatican may find a "feminist spirit" problematic, almost two thirds of all survey respondents see sisters who take controversial stands on interreligious dialogue, homosexuality, and women's ordination as prophetic. A sizeable minority (18 percent) of all survey respondents find this group dangerous, while critical U.S. Catholic subscribers say they are "outsiders sometimes worth listening to" (14 percent) rather than a threat (3 percent).

"Women religious seem much more able than priests to speak out on the issues of the day," observes a Maryland reader. "The church needs them more than ever."

Survey respondents trust the Holy Spirit to bring the church through this ordeal, but they don't trust bishops. "The hierarchy has yet to learn that they are not the church," says Tom Kelty of Valatie, New York. "Never has so much power and decision-making been in so few hands."

Even those willing to give the hierarchy the benefit of the doubt can't understand the secrecy surrounding an investigation of women who have given so much to the church.

"I don't know the real purpose of the visitation," says Mary Patricia Olin of Derwood, Maryland, "but it doesn't seem like it's coming from the heart of Christ."