We Are Church on the 11th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis on 13 March 2024
On the occasion of the eleventh anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, We Are Church International appeals to all Church people at all levels to remain faithful to the urgently needed course of reform initiated by Francis. In his speech at the pre-conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio called for a radical reorientation of the Church, both internally and externally. We are currently experiencing this radical change of direction, for which he was elected by the cardinals.
In the eleven years of his pontificate so far, Pope Francis has brought the Roman Catholic world church back onto the theological course of the Second Vatican Council, which his two predecessors had largely abandoned. This urgently needed course of reform, which includes in particular the worldwide Synodal Process 2021 to 2024 initiated by Francis, must be continued so that it becomes irreversible. We also acknowledge his bold social and ecological commitment.
Re-establishing synodality
The current aggressive polarisation within the Church shows how important it is to re-establish synodality as a form of ecclesial life and leadership that existed in the early Church. Pope Francis' reform process has already fundamentally changed our Church. But the church crisis is far from over and there is strong resistance to Pope Francis' reform course that was previously unimaginable. It is now a matter of enduring these tensions and overcoming divisions if our Church wants to be truly Catholic, i.e. inclusive.
Further developing theology and canon law
The revelations about spiritual and sexualised violence and its cover-up are shaking the credibility of the Catholic Church in more and more countries. This requires addressing the systemic issues: the abuse of clerical power, the subordination of women and outdated sexual doctrine. All of this must be further developed in terms of theology and canon law. Genuine co-responsibility means not only consulting, but also co-deciding! And this at all levels. Decentralised solutions must be possible.
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Colm Holmes, Chair We are Church International
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Dr Martha Heizer, Vice-Chair We are Church International
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