Contact: Christian Weisner,
Rome, 5 November, 2016. Gathered in Rome for its biennial meeting, the International Movement We Are Church (IMWAC), representing Catholics of XX countries in Europe, North America, and South America, expressed deep concerns about recent statements and actions from the Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (CCEE).
The association of Catholic bishops from 33 nations across Europe elected Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Italy as its new President. Cardinal Bagnasco is well known as an opponent of Pope Francis. In addition, CCEE issued a statement expressing grave concern about “the tragic urgency of the growing acts of persecution against many Christians in various parts of the world”. The CCEE statement goes on to say, “even in Europe there are many socio-cultural signs pointing towards a marginal role assigned to Christianity through discriminatory practices.”
Sigrid Grabmeier, Coordinator of IMWAC, said, “The members of IMWAC certainly decry the persecution faced by some Christians around the world, and support the right of all people to be respected in the practice their faith, or to hold no faith.”
Grabmeier continued, “Some of what CCEE is doing and saying, however, presents grave concerns. The bishops’ election of a leader who has made his opposition to Pope Francis’ agenda, even as most Europeans support the Pope, signals the potential for conflicts that can only hurt our church. In addition, statements that exaggerate the extent of opposition to Christianity, and make it seem as if our Church is facing extreme attacks across Europe, create needless anxiety. They can lead to fear, resentment, and divisions between believers and other members of our communities.
“Our Church is called to serve all people, to attend to the hungry, the sick, the lonely, the poor, the imprisoned. This is our main responsibility. Setting the Church against people makes us unable to fulfill this essential mission. We call upon our bishops to rethink their priorities, and to join with the people of the Church and Pope Francis in focusing on service and care. We ask them to remember that we strive for unity, not division, and that their words must, at all times, be a reflection of the message of Jesus.”