News and Media Releases

Press release Rome / Tuebingen, March 17, 2018

International Reform Movements celebrate the 90th birthday of the Swiss theologian Hans Küng (19 March 2018)

We Are Church International (WAC-I) and the European Network Church on the Move (EN-RE) at their joint conference in Rome offer their heartfelt congratulations to the great theologian and ecumenist Professor Hans Küng on the completion of his 90th year of life. "His lifelong perseverance for the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church as well as his commitment to ecumenism and to the dialogue between world religions remain for us a great encouragement, inspiration and incentive at the same time", they explain. Küng is also one of the spiritual fathers of the grass root movements of EN-RE and of the We Are Church Referendum of 1995. They are grateful for his support to the First Forum of the People of God that that took place in 2015 in Rome.

Appointed by Pope John XXIII as an official advisor to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), notwithstanding the later ecclesiastical marginalization, this Swiss theologian of world renown has made decisive contributions to the understanding of the Catholic faith, ecumenical theology and interreligious dialogue. His 1957 dissertation entitled "Justification" on the Protestant theologian Karl Barth and a Catholic response was also praised by Joseph Ratzinger, who taught Dogmatic Theology from 1966 to 1969 alongside Küng in Tübingen/Germany. With his foundational works ("The Church" in 1967, "Being a Christian" in 1974 and "Does God exist?" 1978), Küng not only brought to the public selective ideas of reform, but intensively substantiated these in his works both biblically and systematically.

With his ecumenical commitment, Küng made a significant contribution to the 1999 establishment of a Catholic-Lutheran agreement in the doctrine of justification. Eucharistic Hospitality, for which the Institute for Ecumenical Research founded by him in 1963 in Tübingen, spoke at the Berlin Ecumenical Kirchentag 2003, was a step in the right direction for Küng.

Küng and the permanent problem of church reform

Like no other contemporary, Hans Küng has raised and kept alive the question of truth and credibility in Christianity. After the Council and the encyclical "Humanae Vitae" on birth control (1968), Küng in his 1970 book "Infallible? A question" raised the question of infallibility of the papal magisterium.

For this reason, on 18 December 1979, under Pope John Paul II, his ecclesiastical teaching permit ("missio canonica") was withdrawn. But Küng did not withdraw his theologically based statements about the controversial infallibility dogma of 1870 and thereby showed that not obedience, but resistance - a rather rare Catholic "virtue" - is demanded when it comes to resisting Roman prescriptions.

In 1968 he initiated and designed the Declaration "For the Freedom of Theology", which was revised by Yves Congar, Karl Rahner and Edward Schillebeeckx and finally signed by 1,360 Catholic theologians from around the world, including Joseph Ratzinger. In 1989, Küng was a co-signer of the "Cologne Declaration," which argued for open Catholicism and against an overarching papal authority.

The second volume of his memoirs "Controversial Truth" gives a historical and systematic justification of the concerns of We Are Church, which had been clearly defined since the Second Vatican Council and for which Küng fought for with great intensity in the 1960s and 1970s. In Volume 6 of his Complete Works he describes in the introduction the "permanent problem of church reform": 
www.wir-sind-kirche.de/files/002618_KUENG_Bd6_Kirchenreform_Einleitung.pdf

The fact that Küng's questions to the papacy are far from resolved is shown by the growing conflicts between Rome and the local churches and the conflicts between Pope Francis and parts of the Curia. Compulsory celibacy, the ordination of women and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper remain in the discussion, despite all the prohibitions from Rome, indeed there are and remain urgent reform points.

Since the withdrawal of the Missio Canonica (1980), Küng has devoted himself to inter-religious dialogue with great intensity. He also published three major works on Judaism (1991), Christianity (1995) and Islam (2004). Since 1990 he has been developing the Global Ethics Project, which he has been promoting since 1995 in the "Global Ethics Foundation". A milestone is the "Declaration on Global Ethics", adopted by the Chicago World Religions Congress in Chicago in 1993, which has led to a worldwide network of interfaith relationships.

Kueng and the grass root movements

Hans Küng is one of the spiritual fathers of the Initiative Church from Below, member of EN-RE, founded in 1980, and of the We are Church Referendum in 1995, which resulted in the Movement We Are Church. At the opening of the Conciliar Assembly "Signs of the Times - Hope and Resistance" in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt, his last big appearance in Germany, he said: "We must not give up ... Especially in the current phase of the internal church restoration, it is important to ... keep our breath for longer", a word that applies especially to the current turning point in the history of the church. 
www.wir-sind-kirche.de/files/wsk/K%C3%9CNG_Paulskirche_20121018.pdf

Half a year after the election of Pope Francis, he wrote about We are Church: "In its demands, it has the message of Jesus Christ behind it, and at the same time meets the requirements of today's democratic and pluralistic society. During the time of the restoration pacts Wojtyla and Ratzinger there was little hope that their concerns would be heard in the hierarchy. With Pope Francis, however, a turnaround seems to have occurred which makes it easier to fulfill many of their demands. In the winter church the Church Movement kept the embers glowing under the ashes. May the fire of reform finally seize the whole Church and also the Vatican. So continue, dear friends, courage, creativity and perseverance!"

Media contacts:

• Marianne Duddy-Burke, cell phone: +1-617-669-7810, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Raquel Mallavibarrena, cell phone: +34-649332654, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Christian Weisner, cell phone: +49-172-5184082, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 Vatican News:Watch the official trailer for Wim Wenders’ new film, Pope Francis - A Man of His Word. “Pope Francis - A Man of His Word,” is intended to be a personal journey with Pope Francis, rather than a biographical documentary about him. The pope’s ideas and his message are central to this documentary, which sets out to present his work of reform and his answers to today’s global questions. From his deep concern for the poor and wealth inequality, to his involvement in environmental issues and social justice, Pope Francis engages the audience face-to-face and calls for peace.

>The film goes on general release on 18 May. It is produced by Wim Wenders with Samantha Gandolfi Branca, Alessandro Lo Monaco (The World's Smallest Army) Andrea Gambetta, and David Rosier (The Salt of the Earth). The film is a production of Celestes Images, Vatican media. Solares Fondazione della Arti, PTS Art's Factory , Neue Road Movies, Fondazione Solares Suisse and Decia Films.

Joint Press Release from We Are Church International and the European Network - Church on the Move

[ Spanish ] [ Portuguese ]  [ Italian ]

8 March 2018

Five years after the election of Pope Francis (13 March 2018) We Are Church International (WAC-I) and European Network Church on the Move (EN) appeal to Pope Francis to continue the reform process of the Roman Catholic Church and to intensify it with dramatic action. The election of the first South American Pope, who began his Papacy by asking the people of the world to pray for him, stirred great hopes in the hearts of many Catholics, especially many who had been frustrated by the failure of our Church to realize the promises of the Second Vatican Council, which was seen as having great potential to be more faithful to the Gospel and for modernizing aspects of the Church.

Today, delegates and representatives of the international Catholic Church Reform and Social Justice movements give Pope Francis decidedly mixed reviews. WAC-I and EN praise Francis for modelling a life in solidarity with the poor, encouraging dialogue within and beyond the Church, attempting to rein in hierarchical abuse of the Church’s wealth and power, and speaking in ways that are accessible to many. Yet, many of his reforms have been resisted by Church officials appointed by the previous Popes, John Paull II and Benedict XVI. WAC-I and EN call on the Cardinals, bishops, and all Catholics to embrace Francis’ vision of the Church as servant and steward.

WAC-I and EN leaders commend Pope Francis for his relentless advocacy on behalf of refugees and migrants, for his strong engagement for peace founded on justice in the world, for his proposal of nonviolence in every conflict, his visible presence among communities typically marginalized, and opting for simplicity in his personal life. They applaud the stewardship of the Earth promoted in Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si. They recognize his courage in chastising and demoting bishops and cardinals who flaunted wealth and instructing church leaders to focus on pastoral care rather than bureaucracy. They appreciate that the Pope has focused on under-represented areas of the globe in the appointment of new Cardinals and has emphasized pastoral skills in designating bishops. They support the Pope’s attempts to open dialogue on issues of importance to families and youth and inviting input from members of the church in preparing for these Synods. The groups celebrated Pope Francis’ efforts to increase the accountability in financial matters, and his respectful engagement with leaders and members of other faiths.

The groups also expressed significant disappointment with the lack of substantive changes in some areas of Church policy and dogma, and about the opposition the Pope’s attempts at reforms have met within the Curia. They noted that the People of God remain excluded from decision making at all levels of the Church and Pope Francis call for dialogue has not been heeded at all levels. They also noted that there has been no significant movement on the inequality of women in the Church, despite the appointment of a study commission to consider the questions of women in the diaconate. The Pope has maintained the Church’s emphasis on complementarity, which prescribes roles for women and men based on gender, and on recognizing only the permanent, exclusive marriage of a man and woman open to the procreation and nurture of children. This means that divorced, remarried, cohabiting, LGBTI people, and those who use contraceptives, build families through assisted reproductive technologies, or have abortions are often excluded from full participation in the church. The Pope did appoint a commission to deal with the issue of clerical abuse in the Church, but opposition to its work among Curial members led to it being unable to accomplish its mission. A strong advocate and survivor of abuse resigned in protest, the Commission’s authority was allowed to expire, and when recommissioned, it was with members many characterize as weaker and less likely to challenge Church leadership. The Church should give up the procedures of condemnation and excommunication and show more respect for pluralism, especially in theology. Christian unity remains blocked by our Church refusing to accept shared communion. WAC-I and EN also noted that, despite several invitations, the Pope has failed to meet with leaders of Church reform and renewal networks to address areas of common concern.

We Are Church International and European Network Church on the Move call on Pope Francis to renew his commitment to the comprehensive reforms needed to free the Catholic Church from rigid hierarchical tradition, engage more of the laity and especially women, and ensure that the Church truly lives the Gospel of Jesus in a world that is in deep conflict and turmoil. We pray that this fifth anniversary marks a time of radical renewal for our Church.

Contact: Marianne Duddy-Burke, U.S.A., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +1 617 669 7810

Contact: Raquel Mallavibarrena, Spain, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +34 649 332 654

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The European Network Church on the Move (EN) is a spontaneous convergence of organizations – associations, communities, informal groups and networks – of European Christians who are in majority Catholic, sharing

(1) the vision of a Church prophetic, ecumenical, liberating, supporting, loving, which neither excludes nor discriminates and which follows on the steps of Jesus the liberator

and

((2) the will to work, respecting cultural and religious diversity, for peace, justice, freedom, human rights and democracy, including in the Catholic Church (Cf Declaration of rights and freedoms in the Catholic Church, European Network 1994)

http://www.en-re.eu/index.php

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We Are Church International (WAC-I) 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.

https://www.we-are-church.org

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See Also

Interim results: Pope Francis revitalizes Vatican II reforms by Christian Weisner

I cinque anni di papa Francesco. Noi Siamo Chiesa appoggia il nuovo corso ma continua il suo impegno contro le troppe resistenze che vi si oppongono. by Noi Siamo Chiesa

March 10, 2018.

We Are Church International today issued its complete and unanimous endorsement of Mary McAleese’s groundbreaking speech at the Voices of Faith International Women’s Day event Why Women Matter.

We call on Pope Francis to immediately develop a credible strategy for including women as equals at all levels throughout our Church and in both ministerial and decision-making roles. This strategy must begin with the Pope and other Catholic leaders listening to what women have to say, without rebuttal or limits on what can be said. They must then develop clear and measurable goals for reversing the centuries of oppression and discrimination women have faced within our church, as well as a system to audit and report on progress toward these goals.

We Are Church International believes, as Dr. McAleese proclaimed, “The Catholic Church has long been a primary global carrier of the virus of misogyny. It has never sought a cure though a cure is freely available. Its name is ‘equality.’

The time to seek that cure is now.

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We Are Church International (WAC-I) 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.

Contact: Marianne Duddy-Burke, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; +1 617-669-7810

8 de Março de 2018

Cinco anos após a eleição do Papa Francisco (13 de Março de 2018) o Movimento Internacional Nós Somos Igreja e a European Network Church on the Move (EN) apelam ao Papa Francisco para que prossiga o processo reformista da Igreja Católica Romana e o intensifique significativamente. A eleição do primeiro Papa sul-americano, que iniciou o seu papado pedindo ao mundo para rezar por ele, inspirou incomensurável esperança nos corações de inúmeros católicos, especialmente muitos dos que se sentiram desiludidos com a incapacidade de a nossa Igreja concretizar as promessas do Concílio Vaticano II, considerado como potencialmente impulsionador de maior fidelidade ao Evangelho e de modernização da Igreja.

Actualmente, delegados e representantes de movimentos de Reforma da Igreja Católica e de Justiça Social transmitem ao Papa Francisco avaliações nitidamente contraditórias. O WAC-I e a EN louvam Francisco por afinar a sua vida em solidariedade com os pobres, promover o diálogo dentro e para além da Igreja, tentar refrear os abusos hierárquicos da riqueza e do poder eclesiástico e por falar de uma forma acessível a todos. Todavia, muitas das suas reformas têm enfrentado a resistência de membros da Igreja nomeados pelos dois papas anteriores, João Paulo II e Bento XVI. O WAC-I e a EN apelam aos cardeais, bispos e a todos os Católicos para que adoptem a visão de Francisco, que considera a Igreja como serva e guardiã.

Os lideres do WAC-I e da EN elogiam o Papa Francisco pela sua incessante defesa dos refugiados e migrantes, pelo seu vigoroso compromisso com a paz mundial fundada na justiça, pela sua proposta de não-violência em todos os conflitos, pela sua presença visível nas comunidades habitualmente marginalizadas e por optar pela simplicidade na sua vida pessoal. Aplaudem o uso racional da Terra promovido na sua encíclica Laudato Si. Reconhecem a sua coragem ao punir e destituir bispos e cardeais que ostentaram riqueza e ao ordenar aos líderes eclesiásticos que coloquem a ênfase na pastoral e não na burocracia. Valorizam o facto de o Papa ter elegido áreas sub-representadas do globo na nomeação de novos cardeais e realçado as competências pastorais na nomeação dos bispos. Apoiam as tentativas papais para entabular diálogo sobre questões relevantes para as famílias e os jovens, solicitando o contributo dos membros da Igreja na preparação destes Sínodos. Os grupos aplaudiram o empenho do Papa Francisco no reforço da obrigação de prestar contas em assuntos financeiros e o seu respeitoso entendimento com lideres e membros de outros credos.

Os grupos exprimiram igualmente a sua expressiva desilusão com a ausência de alterações substanciais em algumas áreas politicas e dogmáticas da Igreja e com a oposição que as tentativas reformistas do Papa enfrentaram no seio da Cúria. Sublinharam que o Povo de Deus se mantém excluído das tomadas de decisão em todos os níveis da Igreja e que o diálogo desejado pelo Papa Francisco não tem sido acatado a todos os níveis. Sublinharam igualmente que não tem havido suficientes alterações na desigualdade das mulheres na Igreja, apesar da nomeação de uma comissão de estudo reunida para analisar as questões do diaconado das mulheres. O Papa tem reafirmado a ênfase da Igreja na complementaridade, a qual prescreve papéis para mulheres e homens com base no género, reconhecendo apenas o casamento permanente e único de uma mulher e de um homem aberto à procriação e à educação dos filhos. Isto significa que as pessoas divorciadas, recasadas, em concubinato e LGBT, bem como as que recorrem à contracepção, que constroem famílias através de tecnologias de procriação medicamente assistida ou praticam abortos, são frequentemente excluídas da participação plena na Igreja. O Papa nomeou uma comissão para gerir os abusos sexuais cometidos por presbíteros da Igreja, mas a oposição ao seu trabalho por parte dos membros da Cúria impediu-a de realizar a sua missão. Um enérgico defensor e sobrevivente de abusos sexuais demitiu-se em protesto, permitiu-se que a autoridade da Comissão expirasse e, quando voltou a ser nomeada, incluía muitos membros considerados fracos e com menor probabilidade de desafiar a liderança eclesiástica. A Igreja deve abandonar os processos de condenação e excomunhão e mostrar mais respeito pelo pluralismo, especialmente em termos teológicos. A unidade cristã mantém-se bloqueada porque a nossa Igreja se recusa a aceitar a comunhão compartilhada. O WAC-I e a EN realçaram igualmente que, apesar de diversos convites, o Papa não se encontrou com líderes reformistas nem de redes renovadoras da Igreja a fim de dialogar sobre áreas de interesse comuns.

O Movimento Internacional Nós Somos Igreja e a European Network Church on the Move apelam para que o Papa Francisco renove o seu compromisso com as profundas reformas necessárias para libertar a Igreja Católica de tradições hierárquicas rígidas, com o maior envolvimento dos leigos e sobretudo das mulheres, e garanta que a Igreja vive verdadeiramente no espírito do Evangelho de Jesus num mundo em profunda turbulência. Rezamos para que este quinto aniversário assinale um tempo de renovação radical da nossa Igreja.

Contacto: Marianne Duddy-Burke, U.S.A., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +1 617 669 7810

Contacto: Raquel Mallavibarrena, Spain, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +34 649 332 654

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A European Network Church on the Move (EN) é uma convergência espontânea de organizações – associações, comunidades, grupos e redes informais – de Cristãos europeus, maioritariamente Católicos, os quais partilham

(1) a visão de uma Igreja profética, ecuménica, libertadora, tolerante, afectuosa, que não exclui nem discrimina e segue na peugada de Jesus, o Libertador.

e

(2) a vontade de trabalhar, respeitando a diversidade cultural e religiosa, em prol da paz, da justiça, dos direitos humanos e da democracia, permanecendo na Igreja Católica (cf. Declaração sobre os direitos e liberdades na Igreja Católica, Rede Europeia, 1994)

http://www.en-re.eu/index.php

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O Movimento Internacional Nós Somos Igreja (WAC-I) fundado em Roma em 1996, é uma coligação global de grupos reformistas nacionais da Igreja. Está empenhado na renovação da Igreja Católica Romana baseada no Concílio Vaticano II (1962-1965) e no espírito teológico que dele emana.

https://www.we-are-church.org