PRESS RELEASE 2 July 2017
[ Spanish ]
We Are Church International welcome the appointment of Archbishop Luis Ladaria SJ as the new Head of the CDF hoping he will introduce transparency, justice and compassion in the CDF. The decision on a change at the top of the CDF is also seen as progress in reform of the curia. Nevertheless We Are Church International states: “The Vatican curia devotes too much energy to protect and preserve institutional power. This will only change when there is a full blossoming of laypeople and especially women’s involvement in the church and its mission. Substantive change in our Church is urgently needed.” We are Church international calls on the new prefect to rescind all sanctions against theologians as a sign of a new era of justice in the Church and to open and support the vivid exchange on theological positions without ban of thinking.
We Are Church International called for the replacement of Cardinal Müller as the Head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on 6 March 2017. Cardinal Müller supported the conservative curia who are fighting to retain power and control and are blocking reforms by Pope Francis to make our church more compassionate in the image of Christ.
Cardinal Müller –
- Refused the request from the Pontifical Abuse Commission that all letters from survivors should receive a reply
- Refused to allow a tribunal to be set up to investigate and censure bishops regarding covering up sexual abuse
- Refused to change the processes it uses for investigating priests & religious which are unjust and in breach of natural justice
- Refused to support the changes for divorced and remarried receiving communion based on Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia
Sigrid Grabmeier, Chair of We Are Church International, said, “It is logical for Pope Francis not to extend the five-year term of office of Cardinal Gerhard Müller. Cardinal Müller has repeatedly set himself up as a teacher of the Pope through his teachings and interpretations of the Papacy, most recently in his book ‘The Pope’. A change in the CDF also represents a valuable opportunity for reorientation for the important task of the prosecution of sexual violence by priests."
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Contact: Sigrid Grabmeier, We Are Church International,
Tel +49 991 - 2979585 Cell/Mobile +49 170 - 8626290
We Are Church International, founded in Rome in 1996, is a global coalition of national church reform groups. It is committed to the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the theological spirit developed from it.