We Are Church Intl.

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Antoine Sondag RIP

Eternal rest grant  unto him.  May perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory. 

À Dieu

Read more: Antoine Sondag RIP

Pope Francis supports civil unions

 – he must now act to revise teaching to allow blessings and remove hurtful language

Press Release

[ Italian ]

22 October 2020

We Are Church International warmly welcomes the wonderful news that Pope Francis supports civil unions for Same Sex couples. This is a hugely significant step for Pope Francis and the Catholic Church.

We call on Pope Francis to follow up his wonderful words with actions to introduce church blessings for Same Sex couples and to revise teaching to remove the descriptions of LGBTQ+ people as objectively disordered and their love as intrinsically evil.

Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
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M +353 86 606 3636
W www.we-are-church.org/413/

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.

“Fratelli tutti” excludes Women

Press Release

1 October 2020.

Pope Francis will travel to Assisi on the 3rd of October to sign an encyclical “Fratelli tutti” on the social, political and economic obligations that flow from a belief that all people are children of God and therefore sisters and brothers to one another. This is an important encyclical on social justice for our post Covid world. Yet sadly Pope Francis is undermining his important message by choosing the sexist title “Fratelli tutti”

Pope Francis was elected 7 years ago. His first words to the huge crowd in front of Saint Peter’s were: “Fratelli e sorelle! Buonasera!” And they were greeted with a great cheer, especially from the many women present. So why does he now revert to a very old fashioned “Fratelli tutti” which in 2020 most certainly does not include “sorelle”?

We support the Catholic Women’s Council’s call for Pope Francis to change the title of his encyclical to include “sorelle”.

 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

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.

Fratelli Tutti

An encyclical for all brothers and sisters

„Eindringlicher Appell zur Umkehr - auch an die eigene Kirche“

Response from Noi Siamo Chiesa

 

Le Vatican: ni dialogue ni respect à l’égard du prêtre

Communiqué de presse

Le Père Tony Flannery et la Congrégation pour la Doctrine de la Foi, Le Vatican (CDF)

25 septembre 2020

En 2012, le père Tony Flannery a été sanctionné par la CDF pour la publication d'articles sur l'ordination des femmes, la prêtrise et les personnes LGBTQ +. Depuis lors, il a été démis de son ministère. Mais, depuis la désignation du Pape François, le dialogue sur bon nombre de ces questions est largement facilité. Donc, au début de 2020, le P. Flannery a, par l’intermédiaire de son Ordre Rédemptoriste, fait appel afin d’être autorisé à réintégrer son ministère. La CDF a donné son accord pour une réadmission progressive du Père Flannery dans son ministère à condition qu’il s’engage sur 4 principes (1) Pas d'ordination sacerdotale pour les femmes (2) Les pratiques homosexuelles sont contraires à la loi naturelle (3) Pas de mariages homosexuels (4) La théorie du genre n'est pas acceptable.

Au début de la semaine, le chef de la CDF, le cardinal Ladaria, a déclaré: « Nous avons fait tout notre possible pour dialoguer avec le père Flannery. Cela n’a pas toujours été facile. Nous avons fait tout ce qui était possible. […] Nous avons toujours tenté de traiter le Père Flannery avec respect.»

«Non seulement je n'ai parlé à personne à la CDF », a déclaré le père Flannery, « mais à aucun moment ils n'ont communiqué directement avec moi.»

Le cardinal Ladaria a une approche différente de ce que veut dire «dialoguer », qui signifie généralement parler directement à la personne. Et faire preuve de « respect » envers le Père Flannery n'impliquait pas de l'informer de l'enquête initiale de la CDF ou de lui permettre de se défendre.

Les procédés utilisés par la CDF aujourd'hui restent les mêmes que sous les papes Jean-Paul II et Benoît XVl : dénonciations secrètes ; procès secrets ; aucune possibilité pour les accusés de se défendre ; sanctions appliquées avec sévérité. Cela est contraire à l'Evangile et constitue une violation des droits humains fondamentaux. C'est un scandale qui jette le discrédit sur la direction de l'Eglise et constitue un obstacle à l'évangélisation.

We Are Church soutient totalement le Père Flannery dont la sanction infligée par la CDF a privé notre Eglise du ministère d'un prêtre dévoué et très aimé. La CDF n'est pas adaptée à sa mission et doit être réformée de toute urgence.

Colm Holmes
Président de We Are Church International
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Vatican: No dialogue and no respect for Priest

Press Release

Fr Tony Flannery and the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (C.D.F.)

[ French ] [ Italian ]

25 September 2020. In 2012 Fr Tony Flannery was punished by the C.D.F. for publishing articles about the ordination of women, the priesthood and LGBTQ+ people. Since then he has been removed from public ministry. But with the appointment of Pope Francis dialogue on many of these issues is now widespread. So early in 2020 Fr Flannery appealed though his Redemptorist Order for him to be allowed to return to public ministry. The C.D.F. responded that they would agree a gradual admission to public ministry if Fr Flannery signed 4 statements on (1) No priestly ordination for women (2) Homosexual practices are contrary to natural law (3) No Same Sex Marriages (4) Gender theory is not accepted.

Earlier this week the Head of the C.D.F. Cardinal Ladaria said: “We did everything possible to dialogue with Father Flannery. It wasn’t always easy. We did everything possible. …...we tried always to maintain our respect for Father Flannery.”

“Not only have I not spoken to anyone at the C.D.F.,” Father Flannery said, “at no stage did they ever communicate directly with me.”

Cardinal Ladaria has a different understanding of what it means to “dialogue” which usually means talking directly to the person. And showing “respect” to Fr Flannery did not include informing him of the original C.D.F. investigation or allowing him to defend himself.

Read more: Vatican: No dialogue and no respect for Priest