Base movements from all continents support Pope Francis’ call for substantial reforms in the Roman-Catholic Church and in Society.

Press release   Rome, November 20, 2015

 Convention ‘Council 50’: Towards a Church – Inspired by the Gospel – for the world’ with more than 100 delegates of worldwide catholic reform movements in Rome, November 20-22, 2015.

 This Coming weekend reform movements from diverse continents, countries, cultures and theological tendencies are gathering in Rome and will present a variety of fruits and projects grown from the Second Vatican Council for an inclusive Church for the 21^st century. They are bringing their practice, experience and reflexions to Rome and hope to show their potentialities for a revival of the Church, as St Francis of Assisi did in his time.

 ‘Council 50’ aims to reaffirm the values and the spirit of the Council and to give space and opportunity of networking between the different experiences that sprang from it. ‘Council 50’ intends to revivify the disappointed hopes, to relight the flame of the Council, and to renew the impetus towards the future. So it is making visible the prophetic part of the ‘people of God’ in the Church too often hidden and unknown.

 ‘Council 50’ strongly supports Pope Francis’ efforts against all resistance: for the renewal of the Roman-Catholic Church, for interreligious dialogue and for a more just and peaceful world. ‘Council 50’ wants to help change the dogmatic and legalistic attitude of the Church into a pastoral and evangelic attitude inspired by the Gospel and in line with the Second Vatican Council. Hence the leitmotiv ‘Council 50: towards a Church – inspired by the Gospel – for the world’.

 ‘Council 50’ is a networking process that contributes to strengthen the ‘sensum fidei fidelium’ that is one of the key theological teachings of the theological thoughts of the Second Vatican Council as expressed in the dogmatic constitution ‘Lumen Gentium’. This Council brought so much hope 50 years ago but because of unsatisfactory decrees and Pope Francis’ predecessors the prophetic part of the Church at the peripheries of the world were too often ignored, hidden, and even condemned. The teaching of this Council is still waiting to be implemented.

Soon it will be the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Catacomb Pact, in which 40 Bishops and Council Fathers of the Second Vatican Councils committed themselves to a Church of the Poor. An occasion which has been all but forgotten for some time, but whose groundbreaking character manifests itself again in view of the disputes recently initiated in the Catholic Church by Pope Frances. Following the motto „Remembering and renewing the Pact of the Catacombs“ it is the aim of a congregation of more than two-hundred Christians to bring this pact to the attention of the public once more and at the same time highlight the importance of a Church standing alongside the poor and excluded.

On 16 November 1965 – three weeks before the end of the Second Vatican Council  – 40 Bishops from all over the world met at the Domitilla Catacomb on the outskirts of Rome. In 13 commitments they promised to lead a simple life, to renounce the insignia of power and enter into a pact with the poor.  What those bishops did later became known as the Option for the Poor: „Because there are poor people we have to make a new decision. The poor are the living proof that there is something wrong with society. Because of the poor we have to take an option. From this point of view the Church has to fight against injustice,“ explains Norbert Arnzt (Münster/Germany), who has researched the Catacomb Pact and the history of its effects on the development of  Liberation Theology. For the Bishops of the Catacomb Pact it was all about a certain image of the church which reappears when Pope Francis writes, „With its words and gestures the 'awakening' Church  places itself inside the daily life of others, shortens distances, lowers itself if necessary to the point of humiliation and embraces human life by touching the suffering body of Christ within the people.“ (Evangelii Gaudium 24)

Agenda for the gathering of delegates in Rome

20-22 November 2015

Friday 20th of November 2015 

14:00 Opening of the registration arrival of delegates, installation of the fair,

18:00 Official openning of the fair and welcome party

19:30 dinner at at Casa Lasalle

20:45 -22:00 Aula Magna :

Welcome and introduction of delegates, presentation of the program, of the workshops and of the process to finalise the Charter:

Saturday 21st of November 2015

8: 00 to 9:00 visit of the fair contribution to the Charter, inscription to workshops

9:00 to 10:30 Plenary Session I Aula Magna

- Opening

- Prayer :Enrico Peyretti

- Perspectives open by Pope Francis for the evolution of the Catholic Church and reforms to meet the challenges of our evolving 21st century world : Dr Nontando Hadebe (woman theologian from Zimbabwe and South Africa)

- Discussion

10:30- 11:00 Coffe Break, visit of the fair and inscription for the workshops

11:00 to 12:45 Pleanry Session II  in Aula Magna

Issues, experiences, expectations and proposals for the renewal of our Church and its implication in the world of to-day, from the different continents:

- Africa: Douglas Irvine (WAACSA, South Africa), Georges Obolo, (Gabon), President of the coordination of the African Network of Former Catholic Youth Students (RAJA)

- Latin America : Socorro Martinez Maqueo, (Mexico), Articulacion Continental de Comunidades eclesiales de base

- North America: Jamie Manson (USA), columnist and books editor for the National Catholic Reporter,(to be confirmed)

- Asia : Paul Hwang, (South Korea), Center for Asia Peace and solidarity under Woori Theology Institute, and Felicia Dian Revenska Parera (Indonesia), Pax Romana IMCS

- Europe : Alice Gombault (France), theologian, former professor at Institut catholique de Paris,(to be confirmed)

- Discussion

13h00 Lunch

14:00-14:30 visit of the fair contribution to the Charter

14:30 to 16:00  Workshops: 4 worhshops in parallel, (see details in attached sheet)

series I  : Challenges of the world to be met by a Church inspired by the Gospel:

- I.1 Peace and war, non-violent solutions of conflicts Church and Christian actions for peace

- I.2 Social and economic justice, respect of Human Rights, migration, trafficking/ Commitment of Christians and Church, Church of the Poor

- I.3 Environment, sustainability/Commitment of Christians and Church, Encyclical “Laudato Si”

- I.4  Societal issues, family (synod results), person sexuality, gender, LGBT, impact of cultures and religions,

16:00 -16:30 Coffe Break and visit of the fair

16:30- 18:00 Workshops: 4 worhshops in parallel, (see details in attached sheet)

series II : A church inspired by  the Gospel for elightening the world

- II.1 Organization of the Church, reform of ministries and inclusion of women in coherence with Women / Men equality for responsibilities, communities, functioning;

- II.2 Base Ecclesial Communities, Grass-Root communities, their experiences, their actions, their relationships with the institution.

- II.3 Inter and Intra religious dialogues, interconvictional dialogues, horizontal and vertical transcendences, universality of spirituality, cultures, beliefs and religions.

- II.4 The pact of Catacombs and renewal of our Church, outputs of the Colloquium on the revival of the pact of catacombs

18:15-19:30 CasaLaSalle Church: celebration and liturgy

San Romero Mass

19:30 Dinner

20:45-22:00 Open meeting of reporters, moderatores of workshops: preparation of the report of workshops and finalisation of Charter

 Free time for discussion, visit of the fair

Sunday 22nd  of November

9: 00 -10:30    Plenary Session III  in Aula Magna:

- Overview of the work of the  workshops

- Proclamation of the Charter

- Follow-up of the gathering

- Final prayer and Farewell:

10:30-11:15  Move to St Peter Square

11:15-12:30   Meeting at St Peter Square

14h30-16h30  Final optional meeting at Casa LaSalle

Organisation of a lively Network

After 50 years, help relight the flame of Vatican II !

 [Conference programme]

We are faithful Catholics loyal to the message of Vatican II. Over the past 50 years, many of us calling for reforms promised at the Council have been ignored. The second Vatican Council[1] encouraged us to speak out for the good of our Church and Pope Francis has now echoed this message in his apostolic exhortation ‘Evangelii Gaudium’^[2]

Now is the time for the hidden part of the Church to emerge from the catacombs - Join us for this once in a lifetime meeting of reform groups and leading Catholic scholars from all over the world.

As equal disciples of Jesus, we are called to show the world and the Church that the seeds planted by the second Vatican Council have produced new growth over the past 50 years. We want to hear about our experiences of keeping the Church alive as inspired by the spirit of Vatican II, what our vision is for its future, and how local groups are living and expressing faith today within an evolving world. Our diversity will show the richness and vitality of the people of God in its unity (I cor 12), as in the different colors of a rainbow

Reform groups, associations and movements, grass-root communities, and interested associations, are organizing throughout the world local events to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the close of Vatican II that opened new ways of being Church. Remembering how the apostles and disciples of Jesus came together (Acts 15, 2-4), we are inviting delegates of these movements inspired by Council Vatican II to meet together in a worldwide event in Rome on the 20^th -22^th of November 2015, in order to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the close of Vatican II, to know each other and to exchange our local experiences and reflections.

[1] Lumen Gentium IV, 37 : The laity should openly reveal to them their needs and desires with that freedom and confidence which is fitting for children of God and brothers in Christ. They are, by reason of the knowledge, competence or outstanding ability which they may enjoy, permitted and sometimes even obliged to express their opinion on those things which concern the good of the Church.

[2]Evangelii Gaudium, (26), (29), (31) : At yet other times, the Bishop will have to walk after the people, helping those who lag behind and – above all – allowing the flock to strike out on new paths

“Sigam o modo do Papa Francisco, de dialogar e de reformar”

Antes do início da terceira semana da Décima Quarta Assembléia Geral Ordinária do Sínodo dos Bistpos sobre „A Vocação e a Missão da Família na Igreja e no mundo contemporâneo“, mais de 50 organizaçõesinternacionais católicas voltam a tornar público seu Apelo aos Bispos Sinodais “Sigam o modo do Papa Francisco, de diálogo e reforma!”

Num espírito de diálogo como o instado pelo Papa Francisco, e motivadas pelo Espírito de Deus, todas essas organizações estão apelando aos bispos para que escutem, com atenção, o que elas estão dizendo, de modo a tornarem nossa Igreja uma família mais compassiva.    

Os resultados deste Sínodo terão uma influência crítica sobre a importância do Catolicismo para as necessidades do nosso tempo.

O Apelo destaca os problemas fundamentais vividos pelas famílias católicas em todo o mundo:

• Os problemas sociais e econômicos da família devem ser amplamente discutidos pelo Sínodo, em particular os que afetam as mais vulneráveis, as crianças e as mulheres.
• Com relação aos divorciados e aos re-casados e sua admissão à Eucaristia, deve ser adotada a prática da Igreja primitiva, tal como acontece naIgreja Ortodoxa.
• Quanto ao que concerne ao “Motu Proprio” (Carta Apostólica) do Papa Francisco, sobre o processo canônico de nulidade do casamento, nós concordamos com, e acolhemos o a simplificação do procedimento, mas questionamos o conceito de anulação como tal.

 As pessoas homossexuais e os casais do mesmo sexo devem ser considerados como membros plenos da Igreja, com todo o direito e todo o dever.

• A ‘Humanae Vitae’ não tem sido aceita pela maioria do Povo de Deus; os casais que seguem sua consciência devem ser respeitados.  
• O Sínodo deve emitir uma mensagem clara e públicaT

de arrependimento aos sobreviventes de abusos sexuais praticados por gente do clero, bem como às suas famílias.

Entretanto, por mais que esperemos deste Sínodo presentemente constituído, soluções para tantos problemas, afirmamos que uma falha relevante do Sínodo reside em sua natureza clericalizada e especialmente a falta de representação das diversas formas de famílias católicas que vivemos no mundo contemporâneo.

O apelo foi iniciado por movimentos internacionais pelas reformas que estão organizando duas conferências para rememorar o Segundo Concílio Ecumênico, em Roma, em novembro de 2015. O apelo foi assinado por mais de 50 movimentos da Europa, da América do Norte e do Sul e da Austrália.

List of signing organisations:

www.wir-sind-kirche.de/?id=128&id_entry=5925#APPEAL_SYNOD_2015_SIGNEES

Contact: 
Christian Weisner, +49-172-5184082,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (in Rome October 20-23)
Dr Martha Heizer, +43-650-4168500,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.