News and Media Releases

Dans son message pour le 50ème anniversaire  de la Journée mondiale de la Paix, 1er janvier 2017, « Non-Violence : Un style de de politique pour la Paix », le pape François appelle à construire la paix par une non-violence active. Il se réfère  aux nombreuses communautés dans le monde qui subissent différentes formes de violence, et appelle tous à s’engager à « reconnaître mutuellement comme don sacré leur immense dignité ».

WAC (We Are Church/Nous sommes Eglise) International souscrit à ce message important, et engage son organisation et ses membres dans le monde à pratiquer la non-violence, la vie communautaire et le respect de la planète. Nous soutenons le pape alors que sur cette question critique, il s’adresse en leur rendant hommage aux personnes de toutes convictions et manières de vivre.

Nous souhaitons souligner que le message Journée Mondiale de la Paix représente un changement historique par rapport à ceux du Magistère de l’Eglise dans le passé. Le pape François est sur la même longueur d’ondes que « l’Appel  à l’Eglise catholique pour se recentrer sur la non-violence évangélique » issu de de la Conférence de Rome (11-13 avril 2016), qui fut une assemblée du peuple de Dieu d’Afrique, Amériques, Asie, Europe, Proche Orient et Océanie se composant de laïcs, théologiens, membres de congrégations religieuses, prêtres et évêques.

WAC International note particulièrement le passage du message du pape qui reconnaît que « c’est aussi un programme et un défi pour les responsables politiques et religieux, les dirigeants des institutions internationales, et ceux du monde économique et des média que de suivre les Béatitudes dans l’exercice de leurs responsabilités respectives. C’est un défi de construire la société, les communautés et les entreprises en promouvant la paix. On fait preuve de miséricorde quand on refuse le rejet des personnes, les atteintes à l’environnement, ou que l’on recherche la domination à tout prix. Cela exige la volonté de faire face au conflit, de le résoudre et d’en faire le point de départ d’un renouveau… La non-violence active est une façon de montrer que l’union est réellement plus puissante et plus efficace que le conflit…. Il est sûr que les différences peuvent créer des affrontements. Mais nous devons y faire face de manière constructive et non-violente, de sorte que les tensions et les oppositions puissent produire l’union dans la diversité et être source de vie. »

« Nous demandons au pape François et aux autres responsables de notre Eglise d’appliquer ce message pour la conduite de notre propre Eglise » a déclaré Sigrid Grabmeyer, présidente de WAC International. Trop souvent, les fidèles de l’Eglise ont été rejetés ou traités sans respect. Les désaccords ont été mis sous le tapis ou perçus comme dangereux, même quand ils ont pour origine l’amour profond de notre foi. Nous recherchons les occasions de dialogue et de solutions créatives des problèmes pour apporter la paix à l’intérieur de notre Eglise.

WAC International a incité ses membres et communautés à observer la Journée Mondiale de la Paix par la prière, l’étude de la non-violence active, et le soutien renouvelé aux objectifs exprimés par le pape François.

WAC International (ex IMWAC) fondé à Rome en 1996, est un regroupement de divers mouvements nationaux de réforme de l’Eglise, qui s’est engagé au renouveau de l’Eglise catholique sur la base du Concile Vatican II (1962-1965) et sur l’esprit théologique qui en est issu.

 We Are Church appoggia  il messaggio di papa Francesco per la Giornata Mondiale della Pace e chiede che esso venga  messo in pratica all’interno della Chiesa

Nel suo messaggio per il cinquantesimo anniversario della Giornata mondiale della Pace  “La nonviolenza: stile di una politica per la pace” papa Francesco ha proposto il perseguimento   della pace mediante la nonviolenza attiva. Egli ha indicato le molte situazioni nel mondo coinvolte in varie forme di violenza e ha chiesto ad ogni popolo di impegnarsi a riconoscere in ogni altro popolo una dignità simile alla propria.

Il movimento internazionale We Are Church appoggia questo importante messaggio ed impegna sé stesso e i propri membri nel mondo a praticare la nonviolenza in ogni manifestazione della vita collettiva e nella migliore gestione di ogni problema dell’umanità. Noi condividiamo il fatto che il papa, esprimendo le sue riflessioni critiche, abbia riconosciuto il ruolo di ogni popolo, di qualsiasi fede e di qualsiasi  modo di vivere.

Vogliamo sottolineare che il messaggio per la Giornata Mondiale della Pace contiene un cambiamento di portata storica nei confronti di gran parte del precedente magistero della Chiesa. Papa Francesco è sulla stessa lunghezza d’onda dell’ “Appello alla Chiesa Cattolica perché ritorni alla centralità della nonviolenza contenuta nel  Vangelo” lanciato dalla Conferenza di Roma (11-13 aprile 2016) che fu “un’assemblea del Popolo di Dio,  composta da laici, teologi, membri di congregazioni religiose, preti e vescovi provenienti dall’Africa, dalle Americhe, dall’Asia, dall’Europa, dal Medioriente e dall’Oceania”.

Il movimento internazionale We Are Church ha apprezzato specialmente quella parte del messaggio di papa Francesco che dice “Questo è anche un programma e una sfida per i leader politici e religiosi, per i responsabili delle istituzioni internazionali e i dirigenti delle imprese e dei media di tutto il mondo: applicare le Beatitudini nel modo in cui esercitano le proprie responsabilità. Una sfida a costruire la società, la comunità o l’impresa di cui sono responsabili con lo stile degli operatori di pace; a dare prova di misericordia rifiutando di scartare le persone, danneggiare l’ambiente e voler vincere ad ogni costo. Questo richiede la disponibilità di sopportare il conflitto, risolverlo e trasformarlo in un anello di collegamento di un nuovo processo…. La nonviolenza attiva è un modo per mostrare che davvero l’unità è più potente e più feconda del conflitto...Certo, può accadere che le differenze generino attriti: affrontiamoli in maniera costruttiva e nonviolenta, così che le tensioni e gli opposti [possano] raggiungere una pluriforme unità che genera nuova vita, conservando le preziose potenzialità delle polarità in contrasto».

“Noi chiediamo a papa Francesco e agli altri leader della Chiesa che il governo della nostra Chiesa sia coerente con  quanto scritto nel messaggio” ha detto Sigrid Grabmeier, Presidente di We Are Church International. “Troppo spesso il Popolo di Dio  è stato messo da parte o trattato con sufficienza. Il dissenso è stato nascosto sotto il tappeto o visto come pericoloso anche quando era espressione della nostra profonda fede. Noi ci sforziamo di trovare le occasioni per un vero  dialogo e di proporre soluzioni creative ai problemi, come metodo per un clima pacificato all’interno della nostra chiesa”.

Il movimento internazionale We Are Church ha invitato  i suoi membri e i suoi gruppi a partecipare alla Giornata Mondiale della Pace con la preghiera, con  lo studio su come agire secondo i principi della nonviolenza attiva e con l’impegno a seguire quanto detto da papa Francesco.

Roma, 29 dicembre 2016       WE ARE CHURCH International

[Italian]  [German] [French]

In “Nonviolence: A Style of Politics for Peace,” his message for the 50th anniversary of World Peace Day, January 1, 2017, Pope Francis has called for peacebuilding through active nonviolence. He identifies the many communities throughout the world impacted by various forms of violence, and calls on all people to commit to “acknowledge one another as sacred gifts endowed with immense dignity.”

We Are Church International endorses this important message, and commits itself and its members around the globe to the practice of nonviolence, community-building, and good stewardship of the earth. We commend our Pope for addressing this critical issue in a way that honors people of all faiths and ways of life.

We wish to underscore that the World Peace Day Message is a historical moment which changes course from much of the past Magisterium of the Church. Pope Francis is on the same wavelength as  the “Appeal to the Catholic Church to recommit to  the centrality of Gospel nonviolence” born from  the Conference of Rome (11-13 avril 2016), which was “an assembly with  people of God from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania included lay people, theologians, members of religious congregations, priests, and bishops”.

We Are Church International especially notes the portion of Pope Francis’ message that acknowledges, “This is also a programme and a challenge for political and religious leaders, the heads of international institutions, and business and media executives: to apply the Beatitudes in the exercise of their respective responsibilities. It is a challenge to build up society, communities and businesses by acting as peacemakers. It is to show mercy by refusing to discard people, harm the environment, or seek to win at any cost. To do so requires ‘the willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process’… Active nonviolence is a way of showing that unity is truly more powerful and more fruitful than conflict…Certainly differences can cause frictions. But let us face them constructively and non-violently, so that ‘tensions and oppositions can achieve a diversified and life-giving unity,’ preserving ‘what is valid and useful on both sides’. “

“We call on Pope Francis and other leaders of our Church to apply this message to the governance of our own Church,” said Sigrid Grabmeier, Chair of We Are Church International. “Too often, the people of the Church have been discarded or treated with disrespect. Disagreement has been swept under the rug or seen as dangerous, even when it comes from deep love of our faith. We seek the opportunity for dialogue and creative problem-solving as part of peacemaking within our Church.”

We Are Church International has urged its members and communities to observe World Day of Peace with prayer, study of active nonviolence, and recommitment to the goals expressed by Pope Francis.

#####

We Are Church International (IMWAC) 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

December 23, 2016. On 22 December 2016 Pope Francis rebuked the curia for the third year for not all giving their full support to his reforms.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Pope Francis said curial “reform is first and foremost a sign of life, of a Church that advances on her pilgrim way, of a Church that is living.”

Speaking to members of the Church hierarchy who have resisted his efforts to implement significant changes, the Pope said, “The reform of the Curia is in no way implemented with a change of persons – something that certainly is happening and will continue to happen – but with a conversion in persons.  Permanent formation is not enough; what we need also and above all is permanent conversion and purification.  Without a change of mentality, efforts at practical improvement will be in vain.”

"Also of great importance is an enhanced role for women and lay people in the life of the Church and their integration into roles of leadership in the Dicasteries, with particular attention to multiculturalism.”

We Are Church supports Pope Francis’ reform aims which include an “inverted pyramid” structure for our church. We agree that the Church’s focus must return to service of the poor. We encourage Pope Francis to engage far greater numbers of laity and especially women in the Vatican and throughout our church. This reform will signal the Pope’s commitment to the Catholic Church modeling equality and justice in the world.

###

We Are Church International (IMWAC) 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

[We thank This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for the cartoon]

Pope lays out guiding principles of Roman Curia reform

 [Translations]

You chose the name Francis, after the saint of the poor. 
You went to the refugees in Lampedusa and Lesbos. 
You tell your and our church to move towards the people.
You proposed an inverted pyramid structure for our church.
You opened doors and windows for free thought and speech within the church.
You made worldwide justice and global climate change  a concern of the church.
You counter egoism and power with the globalisation of solidarity, of sharing and responsibility. 

Thank You for all that.

We pray, that the doors you opened will stay open.
We pray, that even more doors and windows will open.
We pray, that you will be able to continue your work for a church of the people of God.