- Target:
- Bishops and Pastors of the Catholic Church worldwide
- Region:
- GLOBAL
- Website:
- www.CatholicChurchReformIntl.org
Pope Francis has called for engagement of the whole People of God in walking, discerning, governing, and evangelizing together to make fruitful the Synod on Synodality soon to begin on the local level this fall. It is our hope that we will have a diocesan synod here in every diocese throughout the world at this time.
The early church was a community of equals, governed by Christ’s “new commandment” that we love one another. The community came together in ‘house churches’ led by both men and women celebrating the Eucharist and keeping the faith alive. The current patriarchal and hierarchal Church patterned on monarchy, is not what Christ envisioned, for we are all one in Christ (Gal.3:28). We the People are the Church and are eager to respond to Pope Francis's desire for greater involvement of all of us in this Synodal process.
We further commit to send a letter to our bishop and/or pastor to ensure the involvement of all the People of God in this forthcoming synod.
We, the undersigned, call on the bishops and pastors of the Catholic Church to fully engage us, the people, in the forthcoming synodal process called by Pope Francis. Beginning at the diocesan level, we want our voices to be heard and included in all discussions continuing on to reach the national level and finally the universal synod in Rome in 2023.
We are heartened by Pope Francis’s comments to the Italian bishops (May 24) that the Synod must have a “bottom-up” focus with the process beginning in small, local communities and parishes. He called for patience, allowing all to speak freely, giving space to “the wisdom of the People of God.”
We are eager to join with others in our local community to speak out in support of the changes we want and need in our Church. Even if some of us have left the Church in frustration or disappointment, we recognize that now is the time to tell you, our church leaders, what drove us away.
For the Spirit to be heard, the lay People of God must be well represented at the synods. We feel it is essential to include the following topics both (1) in the questionnaire soon to be released, and (2) in all synodal discussions at all levels.
• How the Church can become a more welcoming, forgiving, loving, inclusive community
• Women's role in Church ministry
• A path back to the Sacraments for the divorced and remarried
• The place of the LGBTQ community in the Church
• The place of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) as part of the official structure
of the Church
• Lay people trained to administer in parishes and Small Christian
Communities where it is anticipated that no priest will be available
• Celibacy for priests
• Transparency & accountability in the clerical sex abuse, financial crimes, and
use of power in the Church.
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