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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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Easter Message-2019
Resurrecting our Church (the Body of Christ today)
The Paschal Mystery is still alive today.
We have countless opportunities to bring new life where there is death. As we live through the death and resurrection of Jesus during this sacred season, let us look inwards to see what each of us can do to be true followers of Jesus and to give new life to our Church. We at CCRI have moved from exerting so much energy into “reforming” the institutional church. Rather, we are focused on “re-founding” our church in the spirit of the early Christians. In that first century after Jesus ascended into Heaven, there were small gatherings of Christians with an anointed leader. They were simply followers of Jesus meeting in catacombs and in Christian homes doing what Jesus asked: remembering him by replicating the last supper. In all likelihood, this gathering was not just 12 men but included women and children as well.
Colm Holmes with We Are Church Ireland commissioned this picture to be painted
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:
Newsletter – 26 February 2019
Reactions to the Bishops Conference
Now that the Bishops Conference on the protection of minors is over, here are the reactions that have come in so far.
Concrete changes are coming from women, not from the hierarchy
As the anti-abuse summit of the Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences ends in Rome, the consensus emerges that the most powerful voices belonged to the survivors gathered in Rome, and the few women whose voices were heard in and around the Vatican.
But the question still remains: Will anything change?
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??)
Newsletter – 18 February 2019
February 18, 2019 Join our Prayers for the Bishops Conference As preparations are being made for the all-important Bishops...
An Open Letter to Cardinal Cupich
Re: Clerical SexAbuse Conference called by Pope Francis
Reverend Blasé Cupich:
As you and other members of the Planning Committee prepare to tally the results of the questionnaire completed by bishops, along with it, we urge you to include the insights of some of the leadership of the Church – including priests, bishops, and vicar generals – who have affiliated with us. In a separate letter, we have presented our hopes for specific agenda items in the form of bullet points for your reflection in these remaining weeks. Having submitted these points, we recognize that the follow-up planning will be long term and must of prudent necessity include the lay faithful in many forms. We appreciate and support your description of this conference as “the beginning of a worldwide reform that will need to be ongoing and will involve a process of initiatives on regional, national and diocesan levels.” Guided by the Spirit, the bishops will most assuredly lay out plans that will involve the people of God’s full participation, not limited to serving as equal members on tribunals and could even lead to calling a 3rd Ecumenical Council. With this in mind, we’d now like to present what most progressives consider to be the apparent overriding solutions that will purge the Church once and for all of this malignant disease infesting our Church.
Clerical Sex Abuse Conference called by Pope Francis with heads of Bishops Conferences
December 30, 2018
Clerical Sex Abuse Conference called by Pope Francis with heads of Bishops Conferences
We have been in communication with Fr. Hans Zollner, a Jesuit priest, a German theologian and psychologist, and one of the leading experts on sexual abuse working in the Catholic Church. He is one of the planners for the February summit called by Pope Francis with heads of all the Bishops’ Conferences worldwide to address the issue of the Sex Abuse Crisis. Fr. Zollner has invited us to provide input to the organizing committee. This is our opportunity to have direct involvement in this critical gathering. We have drafted the letter below and would appreciate your support by sending this letter on to your bishop and local media.
Bishops Must Share Their Authority if the Sex Abuse Crisis is to be Resolved
Recognizing the bishops’ inability to credibly evaluate their own performance, Cardinal Blase Cupich and others representing the hierarchy of the Church are urging fellow bishops to accept leadership from lay people to make this evaluation credible. Catholic Church Reform Int’l (CCRI) believes the summit called for 21-24 February 2019 in Rome by Pope Francis with the heads of all the bishops conferences represents an opportunity which should not be missed: not only to assure that universal safeguards will be put in place, but also to provide for an ongoing role for lay leadership in the Church.
DEATH OF THE CLERICAL CULTURE – RECLAIMING THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL
https://parracatholic.org/address-to-the-concerned-catholics/ It is time for the People of God to take our rightful place in the Church
Newsletter – 27 October 2018
If you are a young person, or have a friend, child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or relative, we invite you to join or have them Join an online gathering of young people around the world Saturday, November 3rd, 2018 Pope Francis called a Synod on Youth which has been...
We ask Pope Francis for a Council with the participation of an equal number of women and men
Sign the petition
The canonization of Pope Paul VI is an error for the Church. His pontificate must be evaluateded by history.
Contact: Marianne Duddy-Burke, +1 617=669-7810, media@we-are-church-international.org Contact: Raquel Mallavibarrena Martinez de Castro, +34 649332654, rmallavi@gmail.com We Are Church International (WAC) and European Network Church on the Move (EN) strongly oppose...
The Synod on Synodality
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Reforms We Are Seeking
Online Young Adult Seekers Small Christian Communities
Meeting ID: 863 4519 4432
Passcode: Evangelize
Young Adult Seekers Articles
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Get Involved In CCRI
We 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.
