Most esteemed Pope Leo XIV:
With affection and appreciation, we wish to convey our feelings and regards regarding your upcoming visit to Spain.
Christian Networks is a platform made up of some 200 grassroots Christian groups from all over Spain. We want to express our joy that you can visit us, especially because you are fulfilling the wish already expressed by our beloved Pope Francis to come to Spain, particularly to the Canary Islands, where so many immigrants arrive, risking their lives, many of whom die trying.
We want to express our support and solidarity in the face of the fierce, unjust, and false accusations made against you by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who claims to be a Christian but is anything but, given his involvement in military intervention in countries like Palestine, Iran, and Venezuela, and now his threats against Cuba. These actions result in the deaths of millions of people, injuries, forced displacement, and widespread destruction. He also rejects immigrants, creating truly inhumane situations.
In response to these attitudes, you use the Gospel of Jesus, which advocates for peace and welcoming all people without distinction, especially the most vulnerable. We fully support you because these are the attitudes of Jesus.
We hope that he will continue and expand upon the major reforms undertaken by his predecessor, the good Pope Francis.
But along with all these acknowledgments, we would also like to convey some of our concerns about the Church in general and about the Church in Spain in particular.
We believe that the Spanish bishops and the Vatican should renounce the pre-Vatican II Church-State Agreements that remain in force despite their difficult compatibility with the Spanish Constitution. Furthermore, the fact that nearly 100,000 properties owned by the Church have been registered in its name, effectively making the Church in Spain the country's largest real estate owner, is a scandal. This situation must be rectified.
We also believe that bishops must rigorously address the problems arising from cases of pedophilia that have caused and continue to cause so much harm to so many people.
On the other hand, it is essential that Spain and the world truly promote the synodal approach established by the recent Synod of Bishops, so that the most important decisions in each diocese are made collegially and participatively, with much greater involvement of lay men and women, priests, and religious men and women. We do not understand how, in the 21st century, the Catholic Church continues to close the door to full equality for women in all aspects of Church life.
The Church that welcomes everyone, as Pope Francis said, maintains barriers of exclusion against LGBTI+ people, married priests, divorced people, critical theologians… We ask you to reconsider these refusals that cause so much suffering. We value your efforts for unity in the Church, but this should not prevent urgent reforms from being paralyzed.
Francis said, “How I would love a poor Church for the poor!” We are sure that you would like it too, just as we do.
Along these lines, we want to say that we dream that sooner rather than later the Pope will be able to visit Christian communities throughout the world, solely as a pastor and not also as a head of state, subject to the official protocols for such occasions. This also entails excessive expenses (more than 15 million euros, in addition to costs for infrastructure, security, healthcare, etc.). These are sums contributed by the faithful, businesses, and public administrations. We find it scandalous, as is being reported, that those who make donations between 500,000 and 1 million euros may be entitled to a private visit with the Pope.
That the Church renounce being a State and not allow having a Pope as Head of State, but as Pastor of all and animator of all bishops and of all churches in the World.
Finally, we want to say that we want a Church that always looks to Jesus as its guide and is not constantly preoccupied with issues of power, prestige, money, or focused solely on preserving the institution's image. Above all, we demand transparency and truth.
With our best wishes, affection, and appreciation, we cordially greet you:
CHRISTIAN NETWORKS