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    Open Letter To Pope Francis From International Reform Leaders

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    National Catholic Reporter
    The leaders of 24 international reform groups urge Pope Francis to end the church's policy of clustering parishes into megaparishes.

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    Open Letter To Pope Francis From International Reform Leaders

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    National Catholic Reporter
    15K views4 pages
    The leaders of 24 international reform groups urge Pope Francis to end the church's policy of clustering parishes into megaparishes.

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    Open Letter to Pope Francis from international reform leaders

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    The leaders of 24 international reform groups urge Pope Francis to end the church's policy of clustering parishes into megaparishes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    15K views4 pages

    Open Letter To Pope Francis From International Reform Leaders

    Uploaded by

    National Catholic Reporter
    The leaders of 24 international reform groups urge Pope Francis to end the church's policy of clustering parishes into megaparishes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Vienna/Limerick, May 2015

    An open letter to Pope Francis

    Pope Francis, you need vibrant parishes and the parishes need you!
    Pope Francis, your vision of the Church moves us: a Church following the path and the
    spirit of Jesus; united in respect and candor, as equals, as true fellow travelers squarely
    facing those who are marginalized and most in need of solidarity. Instead of deepening
    rifts, you bring us together. Instead of judging, you seek to understand. Instead of closing
    doors, you open hearts. Here, the original model of the Church, as Jesus has shown us
    through his own life, is finally perceived again.
    Countless people throughout the world cheer you on because they share this vision, very
    much in line with the Second Vatican Council. Even more, they live up to it as well as they
    can at home, in the local parishes at the grassroots basis of the Church. Here, in the
    everyday life of the people, Church exists or not. Here, and only here, the Church
    experiences its day-to-day raison dtre.
    Pope Francis, you need the parishes to bring your vision of the Church to life. Without
    active parishes, your vision lacks the foundation and the necessary strength to overcome
    opposition. Our parishes are the future of Jesus Church; but it is exactly the future of
    these parishes that is massively threatened.
    Around the world, our bishops increasingly respond to the priest shortage by merging
    active and vibrant parishes into anonymous and unmanageable superstructures. Merging
    seems to be the formula of the hour. But in the new mega-parishes, personal contact
    between people and ministers is lost. The sacraments and the priests are removed ever
    further from the everyday life of church citizens. And where the wellspring of the
    community, the celebration of the Eucharist, is celebrated less and less often, communio
    falls by the wayside. Instead of caring for souls, priests are busy with coordination and
    administration. While they are supposed to be everywhere, they find themselves nowhere
    fully at home. In such parishes, the living breath of Jesus cannot be found; instead, Gods
    people feel alienated, unsettled and insecure. Here, the Church is no longer close to the
    people, but consciously removes itself from its base.
    We, concerned priests and deacons, ministers and committed Church citizens in the
    parishes of this world are no longer willing to walk this path. Together, we seek new paths
    to a future of our Church with vibrant parishes; parishes where everyone is welcome
    without exception. And such ways exist! Many parishes have long shown by example how
    things can be done differently.

    There are women and men, married couples, divorced and remarried, homosexual and
    heterosexual partners, young and old, those in the center and those who have been
    pushed to the side there are dedicated people who want to put an end to the merger of
    their parishes into ever larger units. By their personal dedication, by the strength of their
    baptismal calling, they assist in relieving the priests of their increasing responsibilities in
    order to continue offering vital services to the people. In parishes that no longer have
    priests, they are developing creative solutions to ensure the cohesion and the day-to-day
    management of their parishes. In many cases, this has resulted in sustainable structures
    and models for the future from which we can learn. There is still much motivation at the
    base to strive for a renewed Church in the spirit of Jesus.
    Pope Francis, we priests and deacons, ministers and Church citizens, women and men
    need you! We appeal to you to clear the way for new forms of parish life, their ministry
    and management. Let us open the priestly office to everyone who has the charism. Let us
    develop new management models and forms of pastoral ministry so that parishioners can
    participate according to their charisms. Let us establish a new culture of co-responsibility
    and joint decision-making in all structures of our Church. Let us remember how Jesus
    understood and lived community. Gods spirit compels us. Let us be courageous and
    tackle this together!
    Pope Francis, you need vibrant parishes for your vision of Church to come to life. And the
    parishes need you. We the priests and deacons, ministers and many engaged Church
    citizens in parishes around the world stand ready to share our experiences and ideas
    and actively support you and the bishops in realizing your vision at the base.

    Signed
    AUSTRIA
    Pfarrer-Initiative sterreich
    Fr. Helmut Schller, Spokesman
    Wir sind Kirche sterreich
    Dr. Martha Heizer, Chair
    AUSTRALIA
    Australian Catholic Coalition for Church Renewal
    Marilyn Hatton, Convenor
    Catholics for Ministry
    Paul Collins, Convenor
    Catholics for Renewal
    Peter Johnstone, President

    Cyber Christian Community


    Helen Oxenburgh-Lowe, Convenor
    Women and the Australian Church
    Bernice Moore, Convenor
    ENGLAND
    ACTA A Call to Action
    Eileen Fitzpatrick, Chair
    Jean Riordan, Delegate
    GERMANY
    Deutsche Pfarrer-Initiative
    Fr. Christian Ammersbach, Spokesman
    Wir sind Kirche Deutschland
    Christian Weisner, Steering Committee
    INDIA
    Fr. Shaji George Kochuthara
    Moral Theologian and Priest, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate
    Satyashodhak, Mumbai
    Dr. Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, Theologian, Co-ordinator
    IRELAND
    Assocation of Catholic Priests (ACP)
    Fr. Brendan Hoban and Fr. Sen McDonagh, Leadership Team
    Fr. Tony Flannery, Host of Limerick Conference 2015
    Association of Catholics in Ireland (ACI)
    Noel McCann, Steering Group Chair
    Dr. Patricia Fitzsimons, Steering Group Member
    We are Church Ireland
    Brendan Butler, joint Co-Ordinator
    Seeds of Hope
    Kathleen McDonnell, Rita OBrien, Margaret Lee,
    Core Group Members
    ITALY
    Noi Siamo Chiesa Italia
    Vittorio Bellavite, Spokesman
    Fr. Carmine Miccoli, Priest

    SLOVAKIA
    ok21 Society for Open Christianity for the 21st Century
    Peter Krian, Chairman
    SWITZERLAND
    Pfarrei-Initiative Schweiz
    Dr. Markus Heil, Deacon, Chairman
    Susanne A. Birke, Leadership team
    USA
    National Coalition of American Nuns
    Sr. Jeannine Gramick S.L., National Coordinator
    New Ways Ministry
    Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director
    FutureChurch
    Deborah Rose-Milavec, Executive Director
    Women's Ordination Conference
    Kate McElwee, Co-Executive Director
    INTERNATIONAL
    International Movement We are Church (IMWAC)
    Sigrid Grabmeier, Chair

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