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Catholic Church Reform International is a global network of committed Catholic organizations and individuals seeking a deeply-rooted reform of our Church. It is crucial that we all stay involved in the synodal process!
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Newsletter – 16 May 2016
Greetings at the start of this Pentecost Season of the Church:
CCRI is here to support reform movements coming from various organizations throughout the world. If you agree, we invite you to sign the following three petitions:
Pope did not say he’d ordain women deacons, spokesman says
Catholic News Service reports that when Pope Francis met members of the International Union of Superiors General, the leadership group for superiors of women’s orders, on May 12, he accepted a proposal that he establish a commission to study the role of New Testament deaconesses and the possibility of women serving as deacons today.
Pope Francis told the sisters that he thought it would be a good idea to form a commission “to take up this question again in order to view it with greater clarity,” Father Lombardi said. “But one must be honest: The pope did not say he intends to introduce a diaconal ordination for women and even less did he speak of the priestly ordination of women. In fact, talking about preaching during the eucharistic celebration, he let them know that he was not considering this possibility at all.”
On hearing the frenzy created by the media, CCRI received a request from the Huffington Post to comment. Rene Reid, CCRI Director, said
“We support any move towards greater inclusion of women in the church but recognize that this will be a slow and gradual evolution. For the Vatican to entertain reopening the diaconate to women as was done in the early Church, it would be considered the lowest level of ordination. The commission, when formed, should rethink the theology of all ordained ministries, namely, ordination of bishops, priests, deacons and deaconesses. There is a need to move away from hierarchical theology to the theology of service based on a person’s gifts … We can learn from other churches who have struggled with this issue for years … and learn from the mistakes they’ve made, namely, that ordination is not an ordination to a particular level of power. Rather it should mean ordination to different types of service based on the person’s innate gifts and talents. Some women will be called to be deacons. Others to be priests. And still others could be selected by the community to be their bishop.”
Please allow married priests back into active ordained ministry
Pope Francis wants to hear from you – whether you are Catholic, former Catholic, a Christian or non-Christian.
Just fill out the signature information at the bottom. Thank you!
Dear Pope Francis: In this year of mercy, we ask mercy of the Church for the suffering within its own ranks. On the grassroots level, we meet priests who live in grief and sometimes in poverty. We welcome your acknowledging in Amoris Laetitia that “we could draw from the experience of the broad oriental tradition of a married clergy.” Abbot Michael of the Order of Franciscans Ecumenical (OFE) brought the following to the attention of CCRI
If you wish, we can send you a list of all the reform-minded Catholic organizations from North and South America, from Europe, Africa and Asia and countless Catholic individuals who support this petition. read moreTui Motu Interislands Magazine: RecommendationHi Folks, Here is the link to the New Zealand magazine Tui Motu Interislands, which I find very inspiring and links me to people who are seeking reform in various ways, many of whom have long since left regular attendance of Church. Each month it follows a them -this... Opening Prayer – Strategy Team meeting – 11 May 2016Suggested by Ed Shreurs Invictus Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My... Francis to create commission to study female deacons in Catholic churchJoshua McElwee is reporting this in the NCR today Pope Francis has announced he will create a commission to study the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons in the Catholic church, signaling an historic openness to the possibility of ending the global... A Church for our DaughtersWe are pleased to bring you news of a vibrant new website: A Church for our Daughters. This is a grassroots campaign by more than two dozen organisations in the United States seeking signatures to their petition to the US Bishops' Conference for their June meeting,... The pontificate might be stuck in the mudFrancis must now accelerate his ongoing reform and development of the Synod of Bishops so that, by law, it becomes the primary structure to assist the Bishop of Rome in his ministry of universal governance. The monarchical model on which it is currently based is not... Amoris Laetitia gives hope at the grass roots for a more responsive ChurchPress ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseContact: Rene Reid
There are many signs of hope in the document, which (1) urges church leaders to move away from being rigid enforcers of doctrine to become nurturing pastors (##305-312); elevates transformative love and tenderness over “dry and lifeless doctrine” (#59) and recognizes that “a general law or rule … is not enough to discern and ensure full fidelity to God … as to matters of detail” (#304) (2) reaffirms that “every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration” (#250); (3) recognizes that “a negative judgment about an objective situation does not imply a judgment about … the culpability of the person involved (#302) and that “individual conscience needs to be better incorporated into the Church’s praxis in certain situations which do not objectively embody our understanding of marriage” (#303); exhorts the clergy to accompany people and dialogue with them, most especially with those who do not live the reality of an ideal marriage (#293); (4) acknowledges that we could draw from the experience of the broad oriental tradition of a married clergy (#202); and (5) reinforces the sanctity of personal conscience (#222) and the obligation of pastors “to encourage an ever greater trust in God’s grace” (#303) and “to form consciences, not to replace them” (#37). Fr Hans Küng appreciates our supportDear René Reid, Thank you for your kind mail. Personally I do not strive for an official rehabilitation, but I appreciate your sympathy and loyalty and welcome your initiative. The Pope’s fraternal response to my »Appeal« may encourage you. With all good wishes, Hans... A Statement of FaithComposed by Christina Reymer for the Strategy Team meeting on 27 April 2016 We believe in God, creating all that is. We believe in Jesus Christ, incarnate Word, Conceived by the power of the Spirit , And given birth by Mary, his mother. He suffered injustice, was... Fr. Hans Kung says Francis responded to request for free discussion on infallibility dogmaby Prof Hans Küng in the National Catholic Reporter On March 9, my appeal to Pope Francis to give room to a free, unprejudiced and open-ended discussion on the problem of infallibility appeared in the leading journals of several countries. I was thus overjoyed to... The Synod on SynodalityNo Results FoundThe page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post. Reforms We Are Seeking Online Young Adult Seekers Small Christian Communities   Meeting ID: 863 4519 4432 Young Adult Seekers ArticlesNo Results FoundThe page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post. Get Involved In CCRIWe could use your help with everything from collating survery responses to strategic planning! With ten different working groups, we are sure to find a match for your talents. We have never had a better chance to make a real difference. Click the button below to fill out the form to get started.  |
Catholic Church Reform International (CCRI) is both hopeful and disappointed in what Pope Francis has said in his Apostolic Exhortation, but in the end finds encouragement for current efforts to promote more participation by the grass roots in the governance of the Church.