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Category: Statements /Press Releases

 – he must now act to revise teaching to allow blessings and remove hurtful language

Press Release

[ Italian ]

22 October 2020

We Are Church International warmly welcomes the wonderful news that Pope Francis supports civil unions for Same Sex couples. This is a hugely significant step for Pope Francis and the Catholic Church.

We call on Pope Francis to follow up his wonderful words with actions to introduce church blessings for Same Sex couples and to revise teaching to remove the descriptions of LGBTQ+ people as objectively disordered and their love as intrinsically evil.

Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M +353 86 606 3636
W www.we-are-church.org/413/

We Are Church International (WAC) 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.

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Category: Austria

 

 

 

Congratulations

to Plattform Wir Sind Kirche in Austria

who founded the We Are Church Movement 25 years ago!

Also to

Wir Sind Kirche: KirchenVolksBewegung in Germany founded 25 years ago!

The 5 aims from 25 years ago are now (at last) the topic of debate everywhere.

And our work continues!

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Category: Statements /Press Releases

Press Release

1 October 2020.

Pope Francis will travel to Assisi on the 3rd of October to sign an encyclical “Fratelli tutti” on the social, political and economic obligations that flow from a belief that all people are children of God and therefore sisters and brothers to one another. This is an important encyclical on social justice for our post Covid world. Yet sadly Pope Francis is undermining his important message by choosing the sexist title “Fratelli tutti”

Pope Francis was elected 7 years ago. His first words to the huge crowd in front of Saint Peter’s were: “Fratelli e sorelle! Buonasera!” And they were greeted with a great cheer, especially from the many women present. So why does he now revert to a very old fashioned “Fratelli tutti” which in 2020 most certainly does not include “sorelle”?

We support the Catholic Women’s Council’s call for Pope Francis to change the title of his encyclical to include “sorelle”.

 Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M +353 86 606 3636
W www.we-are-church.org

We Are Church International (WAC) 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.

Fratelli Tutti

An encyclical for all brothers and sisters

„Eindringlicher Appell zur Umkehr - auch an die eigene Kirche“

Response from Noi Siamo Chiesa

 

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Category: Statements /Press Releases

Press Release

Fr Tony Flannery and the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (C.D.F.)

[ French ]

25 September 2020. In 2012 Fr Tony Flannery was punished by the C.D.F. for publishing articles about the ordination of women, the priesthood and LGBTQ+ people. Since then he has been removed from public ministry. But with the appointment of Pope Francis dialogue on many of these issues is now widespread. So early in 2020 Fr Flannery appealed though his Redemptorist Order for him to be allowed to return to public ministry. The C.D.F. responded that they would agree a gradual admission to public ministry if Fr Flannery signed 4 statements on (1) No priestly ordination for women (2) Homosexual practices are contrary to natural law (3) No Same Sex Marriages (4) Gender theory is not accepted.

Earlier this week the Head of the C.D.F. Cardinal Ladaria said: “We did everything possible to dialogue with Father Flannery. It wasn’t always easy. We did everything possible. …...we tried always to maintain our respect for Father Flannery.”

“Not only have I not spoken to anyone at the C.D.F.,” Father Flannery said, “at no stage did they ever communicate directly with me.”

Cardinal Ladaria has a different understanding of what it means to “dialogue” which usually means talking directly to the person. And showing “respect” to Fr Flannery did not include informing him of the original C.D.F. investigation or allowing him to defend himself.

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Category: Statements /Press Releases

Press Release

Bishop Pedro Casaldáliga (died 8 August 2020)

[ German ]  [ French ]

We are Church International celebrates the life of Dom Pedro Casaldáliga, who died on 8 August 2020 aged 92. He was a model disciple of Jesus and his Gospel. Born and ordained in Spain he lived since 1968 in Brazil, where he was appointed bishop of São Félix do Araguaia in 1971.

He was a prophetic bishop and last survivor of that extraordinary generation of "holy fathers of the Latin American Church" with a total commitment to the option for the poor. Animated by a firm Christian faith and a deep spirituality of liberation, Dom Pedro dedicated his life to social justice, the struggle against oppression and violence, environmental protection and a new world order based on solidarity. With simplicity and courage he fought for agrarian reform, defended the Indians of the Amazon, and stood by the Latin American peoples who were fighting for their liberation.

Aware of the need for an organized commitment of the Church alongside the poor, he was one of the founders of the Pastoral Commission for the Land (CPT) and the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI). For this reason he suffered persecution, was constantly threatened with death and saw his collaborators killed. He was also often criticized by the Vatican for his requests to "reform the Catholic Church in its structures of power, ministry and doctrinal formulation." He publicly supported the International Movement We Are Church in 1998 and Council 50 in 2015. With the freedom of the mystic and the poet, he knew how to combine the desire for a more free and just society with the hope for an inclusive and synodal Church.

#######

We Are Church International (WAC) 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.

Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
E This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M +353 86 606 3636

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Category: Statements /Press Releases

Press Release

25 July 2020. The new instruction issued on 20 July 2020 by the Congregation of the Clergy confirms the Vatican is living in a patriarchal bubble. It is an attempt to reassert clerical male authority and lay (especially female) subordination. 

Most disappointing is that Pope Francis appears to want to have it both ways. He has time and again spoken about the need to remove the evil of clericalism from our church. Yet he has approved this new instruction, which seeks to reinforce a rigid clericalism from the last century. After 7 years in office when will the real Pope Francis stand up? Maybe he would abolish the Congregation of the Clergy whose main role seems to be to promote clericalism?

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Category: Pakistan

by Ashiknaz Khokhar

As the Covid-19 pandemic take its huge and horrible impact on world's population. This virus is infecting everyone without discrimination of age, sect, color and religion. Still scientists are trying their best to find the vaccines to cure this virus. Only precautions to safe yourself is to wash your hands, keep social distancing and stay home. We have seen that whole world is effected with this virus and every country is lock down. Daily thousands of people are dying due to this pandemic. 

In Pakistan, this COVID-19 is also taking the lead and till now 131,000 are positive corona patients which make Pakistan rank 15th in affected countries list. While this pandemic effect the whole country but poorest population is being felt by hardest time due to food and economical issue. Many charity organizations came forward to help the deserving people at this difficult time but marginalized and poor religious minorities are facing the discrimination to get the charity food package from many organizations. This news take coverage in many newspapers and awake the right faith based organizations to help their people in time of need.

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Category: Germany

This statement from We Are Church (Germany) is also supported by We Are Church in Austria, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain and the United States of America.

We are Church (Germany) welcomes the candidacy of Anne Soupa as successor to Cardinal Barbarin for the Diocese of Lyon.

[Original text in German ]

The French theologian and journalist Anne Soupa took an undoubtedly unusual step when she announced her candidacy for the Bishopric of Lyon. Unusual in two respects: On the one hand, in the Catholic Church, bishops do not emerge from a public candidacy, but are appointed in Rome according to a secret procedure. On the other hand, it is considered impossible for a woman to be at the head of a diocese and lead it. The bishops see themselves as successors of the apostles. But why should there not be a female bishop as successor of the apostle of the apostles, Mary of Magdala, who was given the commission to proclaim the resurrection by Christ himself?

In this Pentecostal time, marked by the coronavirus, it is a spiritually inspired sign that the old certainties must also give way in the Church to new insights and developments. Just as the experience of Pentecost drove the frightened and discouraged apostles out of their closed attic and breathed new energy, new spirit and new language into them, so also today the call for renewal and reorientation should burst open the encrustations of the hierarchy and open ways for change.

Pressekontakt Wir sind Kirche-Bundesteam:
Sigrid Grabmeier, Tel. 170-8 62 62 90, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Magnus Lux, Tel. 0176-41 70 77 25, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Christian Weisner, Tel. 0172-5 18 40 82, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Petition, arising in France, supporting Anne Soupa's candidacy

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Category: Italy

We Are Church in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland and Spain endorse this statement by Noi Siamo Chiesa.

It is five years since the publication of the most important text of Pope Francis, Laudato SI, an encyclical indicating the road to the Church and to society for believers and non-believers.

[ Italian - original text ]

Reflections and initiatives on the protection of creation and its connection with peace and with justice have travelled the Christian world, from the World Council of Churches to Cartha Oecumenica of 2001. However, awareness of this issue has never become, over time, a common patrimony of feeling community in the Church so that it was taught in the seminaries, in the preparation for the sacraments, in the reflection on the Word of God. It should also be noted that nothing specific was written in the Council’s documents and also in the Catechism of 1992.

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Category: France

Why am I a candidate for the position of Archbishop of Lyon?

[ German ]  [French original ] 

  • Noting that in 2020 in the Catholic Church no woman leads even one diocese, not one woman is a priest, no woman is a deacon, no woman has a vote regarding decisions at a synod,
  • Considering that the exclusion of half of humanity is not only contrary to the message of Jesus Christ, but damages the Church, leaving the institution prone to abuse,
  • Considering that I am not an unknown person, nor a corridor apparatchik, but I have been active in my Church for 35 years, in the field, as a Bible scholar, theologian, journalist, author, President for 8 years of the Conférence des Baptisé-e-s, and the current President of the Comité de la Jupe.
  • Everything authorises me to say that I am capable of applying for the title of Bishop, everything makes me legitimate. But everything forbids it to me.
  • If my candidature is forbidden by Canon Law, it is simply because I am a woman, that women cannot be priests and only priests when they are appointed as bishops, govern the Catholic Church.

[Translation of the French original]

Warum bin ich ein Kandidat für das Amt des Erzbischofs von Lyon?

  • Wenn man bedenkt, dass im Jahr 2020 in der katholischen Kirche keine Frau auch nur eine Diözese leitet, keine Frau Priesterin, keine Frau Diakonin ist und keine Frau eine Stimme bei Entscheidungen auf einer Synode hat,
  • In der Erwägung, dass der Ausschluss der Hälfte der Menschheit nicht nur der Botschaft Jesu Christi widerspricht, sondern der Kirche schadet und die Institution anfällig für Missbrauch macht,
  • Wenn man bedenkt, dass ich weder ein Unbekannter noch ein Korridor-Apparatschik bin, sondern dass ich seit 35 Jahren in meiner Kirche auf diesem Gebiet tätig bin, als Bibelwissenschaftler, Theologe, Journalist, Autor, seit 8 Jahren Präsident der Conférence des Baptisé-e-s und derzeitiger Präsident des Comité de la Jupe.
  • Alles berechtigt mich zu sagen, dass ich in der Lage bin, mich um den Bischofstitel zu bewerben, alles macht mich legitim. Aber alles verbietet es mir.
  • Wenn meine Kandidatur durch das Kirchenrecht verboten ist, dann nur deshalb, weil ich eine Frau bin, dass Frauen keine Priester-innen sein können und nur Priester, wenn sie zu Bischöfen ernannt werden, die katholische Kirche regieren.

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Category: Italy

A Peasant Girl buying an indulgence - Francois Marius Granet 1775 - 1849 

While everyone's attention is on other things at this particular period of the life of the Church, an old idea is being revived about which we must speak out. We examine it in the attached document (after having considered the coronavirus and the life of the Church, read http://www.noisiamochiesa.org/?p=7997 ). It concerns the revival of Indulgences, a relatively recent ecclesiastical practice in the history of the Church. Ignored in the first millennium (and still today in the Orthodox Church and in Eastern rite Catholics) it was one of the major factors in the break between Luther and the papacy. 

Indulgences only became less important after the Council of Trent, then for centuries it was widely practiced, it was ignored by Vatican Council II because of a strong theological challenge and was then taken up a little by Paul VI. Indulgences have now become extraneous to the widespread feelings of most Christian people. The same Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church in Augsburg on 1999 and the celebrations in Lund for the 500 years of the Reformation in 2017 went in the opposite direction and opposed the practice of Indulgences.

 Now Card. Mauro Piacenza, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, has relaunched it in its traditional terms for coronavirus patients and for those who assist them. It was also part of Pope Francis' prayer in St. Peter's Square on March 27 and during Easter Mass.

We think that a difficult time like the present one should not be "used" to go back to a theology and a pastoral practice that is preconciliar as it is strongly anti-ecumenical. We must instead – we think - speak again in depth about sin and forgiveness. The Noi Siamo Chiesa document ends by asking some questions on how to think and live reconciliation.

Rome, April 26, 2020
NOI SIAMO CHIESA

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Category: Italy

We Are Church supporters in Austria, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Portugal and Spain endorse this statement by Noi Siamo Chiesa.

On April 8, Pope Francis decided to establish a new study commission on the female diaconate. He thus kept the promise made in his concluding speech of the Pan-Amazonian Synod, when he said he would "make the request to recall the Commission, or perhaps open it with new members to continue studying in what forms the permanent diaconate existed in the early Church", and, turning to the listeners, he repeated: "I pick up the gauntlet thrown down to me ... 'that we are listened to' ... I pick up the gauntlet".

However, having seen the list of members of the new Commission, without questioning their good faith, their spirit of service to the Church and their will to fulfill their task with commitment, rigor and depth, we must express our perplexity, for at least three reasons:

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Category: Latest News

by Thomas O’Loughlin

Christianity – because of its use of the image of the cross – is often presented as a cult of death. Many Christians have collaborated in this presenting discipleship in terms of gloom, and prompting the wry comment from Nietzsche: ‘you Christians do not look redeemed!’ Here lies the great difference between, on one hand, what the liturgy of Good Friday wants us to experience anew, and, on the other, popular sentiment. Christianity is the religion of victory over suffering, sin, and death. This is why we call it good Friday.

While Mk 15:33-41 (followed by Mt and Lk) presents the passion as taking place in darkness (seeking to echo Amos 8:9), John – the gospel always read in the liturgy today – presents the events taking place in broad daylight: the mystery of the death of Jesus is a revelation, that which was hidden is now made clear so ‘that [we] may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing [we] may have life in his name’ (Jn 20:31).

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Category: Italy


Rome, April 5, 2020
NOI SIAMO CHIESA

[ Italian ]

"Noi Siamo Chiesa", in the attached document, present their reflections on the current situation starting from the observation of the fragility of the human race and the absolute need for adequate public powers of intervention at local and world level. We are all interdependent. The sovereign lock downs show their void of perspective. The current movement of consensus and solidarity cannot hide how many large areas of suffering are present in our country, which are always much smaller than the devastation already underway or imminent in the poor countries of the world. The severe restrictions on the rights under way present the risk of continuing beyond the emergency, and vigilance will have to be rigorous. The exclusion of family members from the bedside of the sick is painful and one wonders whether it is not possible to provide for exceptions in specific cases that are safe with regard to the risks of contagion.

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Category: UK

James has created 'Praying Eucharistically', a website enabling celebration of the Eucharist in these times of isolation. He says

Many Christians of all denominations are not going to be able to attend Church services over the next weeks, and maybe even months.


Rather than film myself celebrating Mass for my friends, and sharing the video, which seemed, to me at least, bizarrely clerical and pointless; or simply preparing video or audio of a homily for the Sunday readings, and posting that; I felt that it may be time to try something a little bolder.

He explains:

Praying Eucharistically

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Category: UK

by Thomas O’Loughlin

You can divide religions into those that are most at home in the large public space and those which are most at home in the domestic space. For most Christians the choice has never been visible: they own many big buildings – and that is where religion takes place. If it takes place elsewhere, that is really just ‘a follow up.’ Christians seem to like big public statements.

But it is startling to recall that the original eucharistic meals – where the followers of Jesus wanted to be distinctive from their fellow Jews – took place in their homes.
‘Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke the loaf at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts’ (Acts 2:46).

In this domestic scale, they were in tune with their Jewish roots. Every meal was to be an occasion at which those gathered blessed God (Dt 8:10); the weekly meal with which the Sabbath began was a special act of praise, and the most special night of the year is Passover meal when God’s liberating deeds are recalled around the table. This year – in most places – Christians are going to have to rediscover this domestic liturgical space.

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Category: UK

If you have a garden and can get some greenery, then get enough to give a piece to each person in isolation with you.
If you cannot cut some greenery but have a potted plant, place that on the table – it will remind you and anyone with you of the strange year we are in.

Sit down around the table you are normally at for meals. If you do not have such a common table, then sit around where you normally eat.

Sisters and brothers, this Sunday we gather as individual households or alone in our homes. In all instances God is with us, the Christ is among us, and the Church is at prayer. This prayer resource is for you this Sunday.

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Category: Latest News

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Category: Latest News

This collection of Table Liturgies is intended for those who wish to use a Grace before meals that recalls the meals Jesus celebrated with his followers. Some will regard them as Agapes; others will understand them as Eucharists. When we eat bread and drink wine in memory of Jesus, we are doing what he asked us to do. These liturgies have all been used by small groups of Catholics in the UK over the years and modified as necessary.

Some are very brief and ancient, such as FROM THE PSALTER and THE JEWISH BLESSINGS. Others belong to the first century of the Christian era, such as COME JESUS SAVIOUR and BROKEN BREAD. The liturgy AT TABLE, comes from the 1984 Vatican De Benedictionibus [Book of Blessings, ET 1987] and others have been written by modern-day Christians.

These liturgies therefore make heavy use of the work of others, ancient and modern, and some of these are listed in the bibliography at the end of this booklet in OTHER RESOURCES.

Table Liturgies, edited by Simon Bryden-Brook

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Category: Latest News

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Category: Germany

A summary by Christian Weisner:

The Synodal Path is a joint project of the German Bishops’ Conference and the official lay organisation “Central Committee of German Catholics“.

It is influenced by the so-called MHG study, a research project initiated by the German bishops on sexual abuse in the German Church since WW2, published in September 2018.

It is not a Synod according to Canon Law. But after intense discussions with the Vatican there are now Statutes of the Synodal Path for a process of discussions and resolutions of clerics and lay people scheduled for about two years on the following topics:

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Category: Latest News

All over the world public worship is ceasing due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  We Are Church members are praying and celebrating their union with Jesus in their homes or making videos so others, who may be in isolation, may join them.


Austria


The Netherlands

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Category: France

L’exhortation apostolique du pape François “Chère Amazonie”

[ English ]

La CCBF prend acte de l’encouragement que contient cette exhortation apostolique pour les catholiques. Elle les invite à être inventifs en matière de ministères, de célébrations et de rites, dans la conformité au génie du christianisme, afin qu’ils se sentent totalement responsables de l’annonce de l’Évangile, sans attendre une approbation de la hiérarchie.

L’exhortation apostolique « Chère Amazonie » qui vient de paraître se recentre sur la question amazonienne qu’elle explore dans toutes ses dimensions, économique, politique, écologique, culturelle et ecclésiale. Ce faisant, elle ignore, sans les approuver ni les annuler, les propositions des évêques réunis en synode qui s’étaient, à une large majorité, prononcés en faveur de l’ordination d’hommes mariés, pour pallier non seulement la pénurie de prêtres, la dispersion des communautés mais aussi leurs différences culturelles, en particulier linguistiques. Certains en espéraient une décision du Magistère pour un libre choix des ministres ordonnés entre célibat et mariage.

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Category: Statements /Press Releases

12 February 2020.

Querida Amazonia, Pope Francis’ official response to the Amazon Synod, demonstrates that the Roman Catholic hierarchy lacks the courage and vision needed to address the real needs of the world and its people, says We Are Church International, a leading advocate for structural change in the largest Christian denomination.

Colm Holmes of Ireland, Chair of We Are Church International praised the Pope for his “wonderful dreams for social, cultural and ecological issues in the Amazon.” Holmes said, “We agree with the Pope that our church has significant responsibility for promoting immediate and significant changes in how the earth’s resources and the lives and cultures of indigenous people are protected. We urge all people to live in ways that reflect good stewardship of our planet, and the fact we are all one human family.”

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Category: Women's Equality

Women's rights in the Church - in the context of sex abuse

by Virginia Saldanha

Abstract:

Towards the end of the 20th century the increased awareness of women’s rights has resulted in the critique of culture, tradition and practices responsible for depriving women of their rightful place in the family and society. The creation of international instruments, laws and protections for women have given women the opportunity to take their place in all spheres of life like politics, business, law enforcement, etc. However, in the Catholic Church women are still kept submissive to patriarchal authority. The nature of religious leadership that compels women to go to men for spiritual guidance and most of all for confession has created a number of problems for women in their working relationship with the clergy, especially sex abuse. Looking at this problem from the framework of universally accepted women’s rights and protections, it is important for the Church to take steps to address this grave issue.

Read the full article 

 

  1. Voices of Faith in Rome - January 2020
  2. "Wir sind Kirche" wirft Papst Benedikt Kirchenspaltung vor
  3. SECOND DECLARATION ASSEMBLY SELF-CONVOCATED LAY SYNOD
  4. "That's the only way forward!"
  5. Hope for the World and the Catholic Church from the Amazon Synod
  6. ICRN Supports Lay Led Eucharist and LGBT People
  7. Support for the Indian nun Lucy Kalappura
  8. Report on AYA/ATF in ChiangMai 1 – 11 August 2019
  9. The German Bishops have announced a "binding synodal path"
  10. La sinodalità dal basso arriva dall’Amazzonia.
  11. Equality for Women is the Christian Way Forward
  12. ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS oder die Absurdität der Unfehlbarkeit
  13. HÖCHSTSTUFE DER FAHRLÄSSIGKEIT
  14. Il documento di papa Ratzinger è un Manifesto per una Chiesa preconciliare ed anticonciliare.
  15. Christus Vivit, un’Esortazione apostolica priva di indicazioni operative
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