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International Catholic Church Reform Group Affirms Pope Francis’ Call for New Church Structure

Contacts: Marianne Duddy-Burke, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +1 617 669 7810
Christian Weisner, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +49 172 5184082

We Are Church International (IMWAC), representing Church reform organizations from around the world, opened its 2016 meeting in Rome with a public witness at Caius Cestius Pyramid. The prayer vigil expressed support for the concept of an “inverted pyramid” model of Church, as expressed by Pope Francis in an October 2015 speech.

Colm Holmes of We Are Church Ireland, who coordinated the vigil said, “It is very exciting to hear Pope Francis talking about the kind of Church that We Are Church has long envisioned. The Pope and the Bishops should act as the servants of the people of God, rather than their superiors. We believe that reflects the Gospel, especially how Jesus modeled service to one another by the washing of the feet at the Last Supper.”

Sigrid Grabmeier of Germany, Chair of We Are Church International, added, “We Are Church fully endorses the inverted pyramid model of Church. We will work and pray every day for a Church that is service-oriented rather than focused on enforced compliance.”

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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.

– Unterstützung des Reformkurses von Papst Franziskus – Weiterhin Einsatz für volle Gleichberechtigung der Frau und für die Frauenordination – Zweites Globales Forum des Gottesvolkes in 2018 Aparecida /Brasilien vorbereitet

Pressemitteilung Rom / München / Innsbruck, im November 2016

Die auf allen Kontinenten vertretene katholische Reformbewegung Wir sind Kirche hat auf Einladung des Vatikans erstmals an einer Audienz mit Papst Franziskus teilgenommen, mit einer Mahnwache in Rom den Reformkurs von Papst Franziskus unterstützt, sich aber auch kritisch zur jüngsten Aussage des Papstes auf die Frage nach der Öffnung des Priesteramts für Frauen geäußert. An den Treffen vom 4. bis 7. November 2016 in Rom haben Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus insgesamt 13 Ländern aus Europa, Afrika, Nord- und Südamerika teilgenommen; aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum waren dies Dr. Martha Heizer (Österreich) sowie Sigrid Grabmeier und Christian Weisner (Deutschland). 

Mit einer Mahnwache zur Unterstützung des Reformkurses von Papst Franziskus begann das Jahrestreffen der Internationalen Bewegung Wir sind Kirche (IMWAC) am 4. November 2016 an der Caius Cestius Pyramide in Rom. Die Mahnwache griff in anschaulicher Weise ein Zitat von Papst Franziskus bei seiner Rede am 17. Oktober 2015 zur 50-Jahr-Feier der Errichtung der Bischofssynode auf: „Doch in dieser Kirche befindet sich der Gipfel wie bei einer auf den Kopf gestellten Pyramide unterhalb der Basis“.

Auf ausdrückliche Einladung des Vatikans hat eine Delegation der internationalen Bewegung Wir sind Kirche an der Abschlussveranstaltung des Dritten Welttreffens der Sozialen Bewegungen und der Audienz mit Papst Franziskus am 5. November 2016 in der Aula Paul VI. teilgenommen. Bei dem von Papst Franziskus erstmals 2014 einberufenen Welttreffen kamen zahlreiche Gruppen und Initiativen zusammen, die sich mit und für Menschen an den Rändern der Gesellschaft organisieren. Neben den eindrucksvollen Statements von Vertretern und Vertreterinnen verschiedenen Gruppen aus aller Welt setzte auch die Ansprache von Papst Franziskus sehr klare Zeichen. 

A delegation from the We Are Church Council, meeting in Rome 4 to 6 November, were delighted to accept an invitation to attend this event.

Media Advisory

Contact: Christian Weisner,

Rome, 5 November, 2016. Gathered in Rome for its biennial meeting, the International Movement We Are Church (IMWAC), representing Catholics of XX countries in Europe, North America, and South America, expressed deep concerns about recent statements and actions from the Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (CCEE).

The association of Catholic bishops from 33 nations across Europe elected Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Italy as its new President. Cardinal Bagnasco is well known as an opponent of Pope Francis. In addition, CCEE issued a statement expressing grave concern about “the tragic urgency of the growing acts of persecution against many Christians in various parts of the world”.  The CCEE statement goes on to say, “even in Europe there are many socio-cultural signs pointing towards a marginal role assigned to Christianity through discriminatory practices.”

Sigrid Grabmeier, Coordinator of IMWAC, said, “The members of IMWAC certainly decry the persecution faced by some Christians around the world, and support the right of all people to be respected in the practice their faith, or to hold no faith.”

Grabmeier continued, “Some of what CCEE is doing and saying, however, presents grave concerns. The bishops’ election of a leader who has made his opposition to Pope Francis’ agenda, even as most Europeans support the Pope, signals the potential for conflicts that can only hurt our church. In addition, statements that exaggerate the extent of opposition to Christianity, and make it seem as if our Church is facing extreme attacks across Europe, create needless anxiety. They can lead to fear, resentment, and divisions between believers and other members of our communities.

“Our Church is called to serve all people, to attend to the hungry, the sick, the lonely, the poor, the imprisoned. This is our main responsibility. Setting the Church against people makes us unable to fulfill this essential mission. We call upon our bishops to rethink their priorities, and to join with the people of the Church and Pope Francis in focusing on service and care. We ask them to remember that we strive for unity, not division, and that their words must, at all times, be a reflection of the message of Jesus.”