Rome, …. March 2014

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One year ago, our Catholic Church showed real potential for self-reform. Reform for which we had hoped and waited for a very long time. The resignation of Benedict XVI was instrumental in the election of Francis which has given hope to Christian people that a new course in the history of the Church has begun. The crisis at the top had reached such a low point that it is impossible to believe that the Holy Spirit did not breathe on these events.

Pope Francis has put the Gospel and the joy of living in the present moment at the centre of his ministry. Those who feel healed and saved by the Word of Jesus are able, therefore, to love much, to forgive, to suffer with all.

This is Francis’ basic message, a simple message for all ordinary people; all those who are poor in spirit, of whom is the kingdom of heaven.  This message has been obscured for too long. Often in many situations, it was hardly visible, buried by the stiffling situation in the Church. Now everything is easier. There was great expectation for this to happen. Movements at the grassroots desired to make the message of Jesus more visible and understandable, even to those who are not believers or are in search of the truth.

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 20, 2014

International Church Reform Groups Seek Meeting with Pope Francis

Groups Send Letter Urging Increase in Women’s Leadership, Access to Communion

Contact:  Anthony Padovano, 973-539-8732

                 Linda Pinto, 570-296-5326

                As the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ election approaches, leaders of 52 organizations from the United States, Europe, and Asia working towards renewal and reform in the Catholic Church have sent a letter to the Pope. They are urging him to take immediate steps to appoint more women to Church leadership positions, and to stop the practice of banning people from Communion. They have also asked the pontiff to meet with them, saying they represent “millions of Catholics around the world who are deeply committed to our Church, but hope for changes on issues of governance and care.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The recent statement against the Vatican of the Committee for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child confirms, with the authority of the structure of the United Nations, what has been known for some time and which victims of sexual abuses have denounced for years.

The International Movement We Are Church (IMWAC) has been part of the international mobilization on this very serious issue and share the position of the Committee, concerning how the Vatican has dealt, in the majority of cases, with the issue of pedophile priests in the Catholic Church. The attempts to minimize the responsibility of too many Church leaders are at odds with reality; reports and judgments from different countries now make this very clear.

We know that the responsibility for this situation is not individual priests or bishops only, but goes back to the central structures of the Church. The Vatican had the serious responsibility of having tried to wash the dirty linen at home, and in this way it was washed very badly or not at all, and certainly too late.

Pope Francis needs to be uncompromising and to take action very quickly. The decision to establish an ad hoc committee is completely inadequate. There is a need for a directive, which should impose to the Bishops' Conferences in the different countries obligations of transparency and publicity.  Church authorities should be obliged to accept, request and support the prosecution of the alleged perpetrators by the judiciary.

These obligations were, and are still, stubbornly refused by the CEI, the Italian Bishops Conference, as confirmed in the recent meeting of its Permanent Council, despite that pedophilia crimes have been committed by the clergy in Italy not less than in other countries.

As believers in the gospel and members of this Church we are deeply saddened by this situation, which makes us suffer and for which we pray.

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 Comunicato stampa Roma Noi Siamo Chiesa - Italia

 Press Release We are Church - Ireland

 Pressemitteilung Wir sind Kirche - Deutschland

 Pressemitteilung Plattform Wir sind Kirche - Österreich

Media contact:
Christian Weisner, Tel: +49-172-5184082, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.imwac.net/413/index.php/contact/contacts

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

The International Movement We Are Church, founded in Rome in 1996, is represented in more than twenty countries on all continents and is networking world-wide with similar-minded reform groups. We Are Church is an international movement within the Roman-Catholic Church and aims at renewal on the basis of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). We Are Church was started in Austria in 1995 with a church referendum.

Wenn die österreichischen Bischöfe heute, Montag, zum Ad-limina-Besuch beim katholischen Kirchenoberhaupt eintreffen, sind die Ergebnisse von Tausenden Einzelbefragungen mit im Gepäck. Das sind die Rückmeldungen der Gläubigen auf den vatikanischen Fragenbogen. Mehr als 34.000 heimische Katholiken beteiligten sich an der päpstlichen Umfrage zu Ehe und Familie. Die Fragebögen werden dem Generalsekretariat der Bischofssynode übergeben, das die Synode zur Familie vorbereitet. Nach dem Pontifikatswechsel sind die Erwartungen an eine grundlegende Kirchenreform groß.

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12 gennaio 2014