CCRI News 

The Pope is listening and eager to hear from all the people

 

Please read and share this article with your bishop or pastor: Pope to Begin Synodal Process With Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica | Catholic New York (cny.org).

The article reports that the pope formally opened the synod process last Sunday and is urging the bishops of every diocese to open the process in his diocese this Sunday Oct. 17. Call your pastor or bishop and ask him what the plans are for initiating this synod in your diocese. Let him know that you want to be involved and willing to offer your help.

 

Pope Francis is listening and eager to hear from all the people. He has called on every diocese throughout the world urging the bishops to engage in dialogue with the people. This process is scheduled to take place from October 2021 through April 2022. The pope wants to hear from all the people – not only those who are regular Mass attendees but even those who’ve walked away from the institutional Church valuing their personal faith over so called “Church laws” and prescripts.

To all people of God

in communities, parishes, and dioceses globally whether you are a practicing Catholic or have left the Church in frustration or disappointment.

Many of us have wanted to see our Church become more welcoming, more transparent, and more accepting of all. But now is our moment. Now is the time for us to respond to Pope Francis’s call to hear the voice of the people in order to discern where the Holy Spirit is calling us to be as church in the 21st Century. In his latest book Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future, , Pope Francis says:

“This is a moment to dream big, to rethink our priorities
– what we value, what we want, what we seek –
and commit to act in our daily life on what we have dreamed of.”

He has called us to participate in a Synod of Synods, where dioceses across the world have been asked to consult with their people, leading up to a Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. 

In the Catholic Church, Synods usually mean only bishops and only men. But this time, Pope Francis has challenged the clergy to be a “listening church”, to be open to hearing the voice of the people. And for the first time, he has invited lay people to send in their responses directly if they so wish.

How do we prepare for a synodal process? Start with the documents of Vatican II

[Written by Michael Sean Winters – Published by the NCR Online – October 1, 2021]

Nine days from now, Pope Francis will officially open a synodal process. As my colleague Brian Fraga reported on Wednesday, you wouldn’t know much about it if you relied on the U.S. bishops’ conference. They have sent no directives to the nation’s bishops, no historical or theological reflections, no guidance, nada, niente. They have not amended their strategic priorities to reflect the start of this synodal process. And their last meeting was dedicated to figuring out how to justify a document on eucharistic coherence that no one needs and that Rome has indicated it does not want.

CCRI Synod Registration Form

Pope Francis has initiated a 3-step process over the next two years with the first step opening avenues for all the people to come together and make our voices heard. We are especially encouraged to learn that he wants to have the widest participation possible:...

Why people are insisting that their voices be heard at the Synod

Next month, each diocese will be receiving a questionnaire from the Office of the Synod of Bishops inviting the people to voice their opinions and concerns about the future of the institutional Church. From October 2021 through April 2022, Pope Francis has called upon every diocese throughout the world for bishops and the people to engage in dialogue. The pope wants to hear from all the people – not only those who are engaged in regular Mass attendance but even those who’ve walked away from the institutional Church valuing their personal faith over so called “Church laws” and prescripts.

 Read why so many others are signing the petition:

You may appreciate reading just a few of the comments from the hundreds of responses from the People of God explaining why so many are signing this petition to bishops and are contacting their bishops to ensure that there will be a synod held in their region of the world:

 “I’m signing because I can no longer accept the Catholic Church as it has evolved. I now pray to Christ who began our Faith but did not include the manner in which it has evolved. I have learned that the Church that we know began to evolve at least 1,000 years later and was totally delivered by men who did not marry and did not include women.” Dublin, Ireland

 “The Church has strayed and needs to get back on mission and reflect its true role. We also owe it to those who have left and are leaving the Church in droves, particularly young people, and again become relevant to the times we live in, the needs we have, and the new understandings we have gained.” John, Melbourne, Australia

 “I believe all that is written in this petition from the depths of my being! We have lost so much that Vatican II enabled – and we desperately need to get it back before this patriarchal hierarchy smothers us all. We need to pray for those who stand in the way of Pope Francis’ efforts to bring us back much more closely to what Jesus had envisioned!” Mary, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

 “I am deeply committed to the Catholic Church because this is how I came to know God. Most of my heroes have been and are here. I love the Mass and Sacraments, but I think that we have to move beyond the present clericalism and learn to better hear Jesus and live the Gospels.” Kathryn, Raleigh, N. Carolina

 “I am signing because I believe in an evolutionary Church; that Jesus expects and guides us to change in order to grow. I believe our young people are underscoring this understanding.”

Harry, St Paul, Minnesota, USA

 Sign the petition to Bishops in your own language

Sign this petition in your own language

 

Firme esta petición en su propio idioma

 

Unterschreibe diese Petition in deiner eigenen Sprache

 

Signez cette pétition dans votre langue

 

Assine esta petição em seu próprio idioma

 

귀하의 언어로 이 청원서에 서명하십시오

 

あなたの母国語でこの請願書に署名してください

 

Saini ombi hili kwa lugha yako mwenyewe

 

To ensure that there will be a synod in your region of the world, send a letter to your bishop, pastor, or priest also in your own language.

Pope Francis has called for a diocesan synod to be held in every diocese throughout the world beginning this coming October. This first step is scheduled to conclude by April 2022. Without encouragement from the People, some bishops will choose not to hold this synod in their diocese.

 

Below you will find a model letter in your own language that you are encouraged to use to help you formulate your own letter to your bishop, pastor, or priest. The purpose is to let the clergy know how important it is for the People of God to be included and listened to in these forthcoming diocesan synods.

 

model letter in English

 

model letter in Spanish

 

model letter in German

 

model letter in French

 

model letter in Portuguese

 

model letter in Korean

 

model letter in Japanese

 

model letter in Swahili / Kiswahili

 

Engaging the people in Pope Francis synods

To Bishops and Pastors in the Catholic Church: 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...

Press Release

INTERNATIONAL REFORM NETWORK SUPPORTS LGBT+ COMMUNITY IN WAKE OF VATICAN DENOUNCING CHURCH BLESSINGS FOR SAME SEX COUPLES 19 March 2021 Catholic Church Reform International (CCRI), joins with the outrage of millions of people from around the world disgusted by the...

Announcing the Peoples Synod

Inviting thinking Catholics and Christians to dialogue

These events will be held online Saturdays: August 8, 15, 22 and 29

A message from the American Catholic Council:

After decades of research and communication with some in the hierarchy of our Church and trusted People of God, it’s become obvious that as we are “victims” of our global culture and context swirling to remake itself and us. In many cases, it is succeeding—on both fronts. We ask the burning question: Where is our faith in such times? Do we choose to remain impotent as the culture re-forms us or do we choose the converse?

Clearly, we have chosen the latter. We are engaging in an experiment to test the hypothesis that Christians are ready now, willing now, and able now to live the common values of our faith intentionally with the same courage Jesus had. We developed the Peoples Synod to give voice to the People of God, just as synods provide the hierarchy with dialogue on issues that internally concern the institutional Church. We, however, live in a bigger world, an external reality, often beaten to submission by a secular hierarchy that tells us what to think, who to believe, and what to do about it.

We are challenging Christians to think, to be creative, to see new frontiers that match our reality. We already share a common perspective that all lives matter and relationships, primary deep relationships, are the cornerstone of our faith. After all, Scripture is all about relationships, the good, the bad and the ugly, and stories are there to teach us about lives with purpose and those, without.

Come join us for four consecutive Saturdays in August (beginning August 8) for either the morning or afternoon session that will stimulate us to think bigger, to see the potential we have and to create the possibilities we long for. We live in a context of cynicism that keeps many of us mute to speak out on the problems of the day. What would our world be like with thinking Catholics and Christians? Now, there is a dangerous thought to explore.

Urbi et Orbi Blessing 2020

Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!

Today the Church’s proclamation echoes throughout the world: “Jesus Christ is risen!” – “He is truly risen!”.

Like a new flame this Good News springs up in the night: the night of a world already faced with epochal challenges and now oppressed by a pandemic severely testing our whole human family. In this night, the Church’s voice rings out: “Christ, my hope, has arisen!” (Easter Sequence).

James Alison invites us to an experiment

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...

Abuse Summit leaves many at risk

Press Release – 27 February 2019

[ Swedish ]

The Abuse Summit (21-24 Feb 2019) was a disappointment and a missed opportunity.

For over 3 decades clerical child sex abuse scandals have been prominent in several countries (Austria, Germany, USA, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Chile) who have introduced safeguarding measures. These measures have been refined through experience and audits. More recently clerical child sex abuse scandals have surfaced in many other countries (France, Spain, India, etc) and continue to be reported where previously such abuse was kept secret.

The Abuse Summit was therefore an opportunity to share the knowledge and expertise that has been built up so that children in Delhi or Dar es Salaam are as safe as children in Dallas or Dublin. But this did not happen. There was an absence of concrete actions to safeguard children:  

Sex Abuse Summit – Press Briefing 21 February 2019

All Nice things were said about the responsibility  to victims – listen, take on the journey and responsibility to respond.

We tried to provide listening to victims, heard the cry of young,  have guidelines to stimulate discussions which include financial responsibility, relationship between Bishops and Superiors of Religious Congregations, ensuring health community life of priests, etc.

Pope gave a short speech he emphasized listening, Spirit of solidarity and what he expects to happen, a conversion and purification.  We need to obtain concrete results.  He has prepared a handout of 21 points which will be made into a booklet.  Collaboration with all people of goodwill.  He will raise marriage age (and change Canon Law), from 14 to 16  (is this progress??? Which century are we living in??)

Nice Words, but Still No Votes… Women, Young People Have No Power at Vatican’s Synod on Youth

Recent statements from Vatican officials, including Pope Francis, that women and lay people should be more fully represented in Church structure are undercut by the announcement of who will have voting authority at the upcoming Synod on Youth, say leaders of We Are Church International, a group in the forefront of global church reform. The list of those with the right to vote includes cardinals, bishops, ordained Vatican officials, priests, and even a few brothers. Women and the young adult lay representatives who are the focus of the Synod are described as “collaborators” and “observers,” and they are specifically banned from voting.

“Once again, the Vatican is demonstrating its total unwillingness to share power and authority with those of us who make up the vast majority of the Catholic church,” said Colm Holmes of Dublin, Ireland, Chair of We Are Church International. “It is a shame that those with the real expertise on the experience, gifts, hopes, and needs of young people are sidelined as observers as decisions that will shape their futures are made. And, of course, women, whom Pope Francis has repeatedly said should have more authority in the church, are excluded from the vote, as well. How long can this institution continue being so deaf to the cries for equality that are coming from every part of the church?”