The Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops has announced a Symposium “Toward a Fundamental Theology of the Priesthood” for 17 – 19 February 2022.

We Are Church International regards the planned Symposium as a futile attempt to confirm the priesthood as a pedestal reserved for celibate males. A serious Symposium would highlight:

• The end of the superior clerical status compared to the lower lay status
• The end of the exclusion of women
• The end of the exclusion of married persons
• The end of the exclusion of LGBTQ persons

We hope that Pope Francis will persuade Cardinal Marc Ouellet to deliver some of these four highlights.

Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M +353 86 606 3636

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We Are Church International (WAC) 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.

Other Statements

Noi Siamo Chiesa      Also in English and Spanish

We Are Church - Spain  (Redes Christianas)

From Africa - Peter-Mbuchi Methu, Lay freelance Theologian

"The 21st Church will have to be realistic if it is to survive, let alone thrive: unfortunately it refuses to slough off its outdated mantle and dress up in the reality: The exclusively male priesthood is simply an ideology, not a theology founded on revelation.  As Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB would say, by only tapping on the resources of maleness as the yardstick of what is Godly, humanity deprives itself of half of humanity's resourcefulness."

We Are Church International decries the latest Vatican statement declaring, “the Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex.” 

We have been heartened by our Pope’s statements about the importance of love, of families, of reaching out to those at the periphery  and are surprised and deeply discouraged to learn that Pope Francis has endorsed this rigid, unpastoral and totally un-Christian statement written by Cardinal Luis Ladaria at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

Blessings of LGBTQ couples have been taking place for decades. This Vatican statement will boost and not diminish these blessings. In 29 countries same sex marriage is legal. This is a testament to the rising understanding of people around the world, including Roman Catholics, about the validity and the gift of same sex marriage in our societies.  As Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry says “the toothpaste is out of the tube and it can’t be put back inside.” 

The message is not only heartless but shows a complete lack of responsibility. Seventy-one countries still criminalise homosexual activity. Tragically, these countries will take encouragement from this un-Christian statement. The statement endorsed by Pope Francis will lead to renewed attacks on LGBTQ people. Lives will be lost and suicides will increase.

God loves LGBTQ couples and families. God will continue to bless LGBTQ couples and families, even if some churchmen in the Vatican think otherwise.

 Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
E  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M  +353 86 606 3636
W  www.we-are-church.org

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We Are Church International (WAC) 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.

 See also

Open letter to Pope Francis from the fathers and mothers of the 3VolteGenitori network, the Italian national network of Christian parents of LGBT children, dated 17th March 2021

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The Wijngaards Institute have published a very interesting Statement on the Etrhics of Free and Faithful Same-Sex Relationships.

One of their conclusions is: There are no grounds, either from the sciences or from the Bible, to support current Catholic teaching that each and every act of sexual intercourse has a procreative significance and finality... Over 60 theologians from around the world have endorsed the Summary of Findings and Recommendations.

The Statement is available in 10 languages.

Here is a link to this important Statement: 

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Un obispo acusa al Vaticano de traicionar el Sínodo de la Familia por negar las bendiciones gays

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Stellungnahme zum „Responsum“ der Glaubenskongregation

Italian translation: 

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Beginning in March 2020, Catholic Women’s Council began gathering women’s voices from across the world. We had enthusiastic participation from our network members across the continents calling for “Dignity and Equality” in the Catholic Church, as “Women for Change”.

A Pilgrimage is envisioned over a two year period March 2020 to March 2022 ending in a final gathering or Synod that will bring together the voices of women globally to speak with one voice to the leadership in the Church calling for Dignity and Equality for all.

 As we have entered the second year of our Pilgrimage in March 2021,  Catholic women worldwide are invited to reflect and share their diverse experiences, diverse needs and visions with diverse faces on the basic theme that deeply concerns our Church: "Equal Dignity - Equal Rights" for all genders. 

We encourage our network members to continue organizing local “Pilgrimages" to facilitate discussions on the goals of CWC towards reforming the Church.  Our network members are invited to read, reflect on and discuss the CWC Manifesto, to work towards our common goal.

We are happy that our network members Sr. Philippa Rath OSB Abtei St. Hildegard, has Launched the Vocation Story Project and the #Walk in Her Shoes Project by CWC Switzerland, both of whom have invited global participation in their projects.

We welcome three new members to our Executive Committee: Catherine Cavanagh – Canada; Karen Castilo – Mexico; Carolina del Rio – Chile, representing North, Central and South America.

The UN theme for 2021  ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.’ fits in well with our vision for Equality and Dignity.  

In this past year of the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown, women have been creative in coming together to pray, reflect and support one another using social media platforms.  They have kept their faith alive with vibrant online liturgies, discussions and reflections. Women have reached out to help neighbours, the poor and the sick.  Women as healthcare workers, doctors, teachers and caregivers having been living their faith and exercising leadership and ministry in their homes and neighbourhood communities.

Many women heads of State around the world have demonstrated how their leadership has exemplified woman’s unique skill to handle a crisis and have steered their countries out of the Covid 19 pandemic with best practices that helped their countries cope with least loss of life or mass infections.

With the progress of the vaccination drive picking up momentum in countries, we expect the planet to emerge into a changed post Covid 19 world where women will continue to lead communities and countries into wholeness.

 CWC affirms that women in the Church have the dignity and the right to equality to occupy positions of leadership, decision-making as they have been doing during the pandemic, because the world post Covid 19 will never be the same.

CWC Executive Committee.

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Press Release

“No Woman, No Church” Prayer and Video

3 March 2021

To celebrate International Women’s Day we offer a Prayer and video for the full Equality of Women in the Catholic Church.

14 prophetic women from around the world proclaim 14 Stations of the Cross. Jesus treated women and men as equals. Yet our patriarchal church is spiritually crucifying women and refuses to acknowledge their God given full equality and dignity. We welcome the direction for reform which Pope Francis has indicated, but deplore that only very small steps have been taken so far.

Women are created in the image of God

Women are baptised and confirmed

Women are leaders

The Corona Pandemic has further confirmed the leadership of women.

“No Woman, No Church” is ringing out loud and clear.

Please follow this link to our video “No Woman, No Church”:

Colm HolmesChair,
We Are Church International
E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M +353 86 606 3636
W www.we-are-church.org

We Are Church International (WAC) 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.

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A Prayer for the full Equality of Women in the Catholic Church. The patriarchal church is spiritually crucifying women: Jesus treated women and men as equals

A Prayer for the full Equality of Women in the Catholic Church

NO WOMAN, NO CHURCH

The patriarchal church is spiritually crucifying women:

Jesus treated women and men as equals

Station 1: Rachael Alphonso (India)

Mary held the infant Jesus in her arms and said: “This is my body, this is my blood”

Station 2: Rocío Figueroa (New Zealand and Peru)

At the Wedding feast of Cana Mary told Jesus: “They have no wine”. And Jesus turned the water into wine.

Station 3: Nontando Hadebe (South Africa and Zimbabwe)

A group of women were also disciples of Jesus and followed him and provided for him out of their own resources.

Station 4: Martha Heizer (Austria)

Martha said to Jesus: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.”

Station 5: Kate McElwee (Italy and USA)

At the Last Supper Jesus told his disciples to “Do this in memory of me”. That was for the women as well as for the men.

Station 6: Cristina Lledo Gomez (Australia and Philippines)

The women gathered at the foot of the cross when all the men ran away.

Station 7: Miriam Duignan (UK and Ireland)

Mary of Magdala was the first witness to the risen Christ. She was the Apostle to the apostles.

Station 8: Kay Mulhall (Ireland)

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended on all the disciples, the women as well as the men.

Station 9: Jacqueline Straub (Switzerland and Germany)

For centuries women have led Christian communities and presided at Eucharists.

Station 10: Christina Reymer (New Zealand)

St Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake for wearing men’s clothes.

Station 11: Deborah Rose-Milavec (USA)

St Thérèse of Lisieux is the Patron Saint of Women Priests. St Thérèse believed she would die before the age of 25, the age when men were ordained to the priesthood. Of course, she did die before the age of 25. St Thérèse believed she was called to the priesthood.

Station 12: Paula Lazzarini (Italy)

Today women are still excluded from church language in liturgy and papal and conciliar documents. They remain invisible.

Station 13: Virginia Saldanha (India)

Today women are still excluded from decision-making roles in the church.
Men in the church continue to dictate their familial and personal lives.

Station 14: Penelope Middleboe (UK)

Domestic violence remains one of the largest issues for women all over the world
because women are seen as secondary to men as modeled by church practices.