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The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, published last week, paints a picture of systemic institutional violence, and outlines a horrific catalogue of emotional physical and sexual abuse of children incarcerated in institutions run by a number of religious orders, over many decades. 

The Report lays bare a penal system, administered by Irish Religious Congregations, funded by the State, in which thousands of Irish children were incarcerated, many of them for minor misdemeanours, often for long periods of their lives.  It paints a picture of cruelty of an unthinkable scale, intensity and impact on children who were utterly powerless to resist.

Women and men delegates from ten countries, Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, South Tyrol (Italy), Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States of America, gathered in Rome from 22-25 November 1996 to further the work of reform in the Roman Catholic Church.

At the tomb of St Peter they remembered the words: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of One who has called you out of darkness into wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9-10)

They founded the International Movement We Are Church to network and create communication inside the Church and to spread the Petition of the people. This Petition which was begun in Austria, Germany and South Tyrol focuses on the need for a Church

• which values participation
• with all ministries open to women and men,
• with optional celibacy,
• which values sexuality and primacy of conscience,
• which is committed to social justice and human rights,
• which does not marginalise its own people.