Press Release, Rome, Dublin, Innsbruck, Munich, 30.October 2026
What began as an outcry in 1995 has become a global issue today: sexual and spiritual abuse are now being discussed, and their systemic root causes are on the agenda worldwide. "It took a long time—far too long," says Dr. Martha Heizer, co-initiator of the first Church People’s Petition in Austria in 1995 and current Vice-President of We Are Church International, on the occasion of the organization’s 30th anniversary. "But we have succeeded in placing topics on the agenda that were considered untouchable for decades."
From Scandal to Movement
It began with a crisis: in 1995, allegations of abuse against the Viennese Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër shook the Church in Austria. It was the first scandal of this kind to come to light at the leadership level of a local Church anywhere in the world. The response from the faithful was a petition for the Church, which put forward five constructive demands:
• A fraternal Church
• Full equality for women
• The abolition of mandatory celibacy
• A renewed sexual ethic
• A "message of joy" (Good News) rather than a "message of threats"
More than 500,000 people signed the petition in Austria, and 1.8 million in Germany.
In November 1996, 30 representatives from 12 countries gathered in Rome to found the international movement We Are Church.
Thirty Years Later
Today, the movement is active in 18 countries, connected to numerous reform organizations worldwide, and has been present at every synod and conclave in Rome since 1999 (see appendix).
“The issues that were highly controversial back when the Church People’s Petition was launched have since been identified by the German study on sexual abuse as systemic risk factors,” explains Christian Weisner, a co-initiator of the Church People’s Petition in Germany. “Since 2019, these points have been under discussion within the ‘Synodal Path’ in Germany, and since 2021, they have also been part of the global synodal process. Initial reforms have been adopted, but much remains to be implemented.” According to Weisner, the Synodal Path also rests, in part, on the shoulders of the We Are Church movement.
Looking Ahead
No one intends to rest on their laurels. “We Are Church fully supports the global synodal process initiated by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo XlV a process aimed at steering the Catholic Church back toward the path set by the Second Vatican Council (1962–65),” says Colm Holmes from Ireland, the current president of We Are Church International. “We have achieved a great deal, but much remains to be done—and, above all, implemented—both within local churches and in Rome. That is why we remain committed to guiding the Catholic Church back to the course charted by the Second Vatican Council, ensuring it can fulfil its service to humanity and the world.”
Testimonials
Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler, member of the 2023 and 2024 Synod on Synodality, Switzerland: “Heartfelt congratulations and a big thank you to We Are Church for your tireless commitment to a Church of equal dignity! Throughout the various stages of the synodal process—at the European synodal assembly in Prague in the autumn of 2023, and in Rome in the autumns of 2023 and 2024—you have always been there, offering both critical reminders and creative support. As a participant in the Synod on Synodality, I truly value your global grassroots network. A heartfelt thank you, and sempre avanti [always moving forward]!”
Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland (1997–2011):
"The five goals of We are Church International are a sure pathway to the discipleship of equals Christ intended and Church leadership has frustrated for too long. If the great commandment to love one another is to mean anything in a world crying out for the radical change love can bring then it is past time the magisterium took seriously the work of We are Church.”
Prof. Dr. Thomas Söding, Vice-President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) and of the Synodal Path in Germany, expert at various Bishops’ Synods in Rome:
“The Catholic Church needs a vital grassroots base. And that base needs initiatives that are independent and possess great staying power. We Are Church is at the forefront—and has been for a long time, just as it will continue to be in the future. Heartfelt congratulations!”
Press Contact:
Colm Holmes, Chair, We Are Church International
Email:
Dr. Martha Heizer, Vice-Chair, We Are Church International
Email:
Christian Weisner, We Are Church Germany
Email: