Catholic Church Reform International is a global network of committed Catholic organizations and individuals seeking a deeply-rooted reform of our Church through online interaction and collaboration.
We embraced Vatican II for its vision for a Church of love rather than a Church of laws. We applauded the Council for striking a new attitude toward “the world” – no longer seen as evil, but good, because Christ made it his own in a new way, and challenged us, his followers, to help make the world a better place.
After the Council, we were scandalized by the efforts of some to turn the clock back on Vatican II, even to set the Church against the world that Jesus loved, and to deepen the divide between priests and people. Clerical sex abuse and its cover up further shocked the Catholic faithful and exposed a non-accountable system of governance that does not listen to the faithful. As a result, millions of good Catholics left the Church.
Imagine our joy, then, when a new pope was elected, imbued with the spirit of the Council, who could remind us that we are the Church – all of us, not just the pope and the bishops, but all of us. We set to work immediately in cyberspace, inviting thinking Catholics (and other believers in God) to help our Church complete the promise of Vatican II, that we, the people could grow and change as the world itself was growing and changing.
We gave the people of God a space where they could speak frankly about anything and everything that affects the common good. When Pope Francis said he wanted all of us to help rebuild the Church, we found further encouragement to seek a voice, a vote and citizenship for everyone in our Church. That included encouragement for our theologians to re-think the message of Jesus in language ordinary people can understand. That included encouragement for our bishops to walk with us, and listen to us, as servant bishops, not lords. That included encouragement for all us to exercise our right and our duty to help govern our Church.
We have an idea – that we can create a just, welcoming, inclusive community of loving men and women sensitive to the needs of a world that is good because God came to “take flesh and dwell among us.” For us, then, Jesus is more than an idea. He lives today in millions of human hearts.
See our Board of Advisors who are developing our actions and strategies and guiding our direction.