Washington, D.C., October 15, 1998 — For the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's election as the head of the Roman Catholic faith community, over 140 groups in 27 countries, including DignityUSA, have issued a statement entitled A Pope for the Time to Come: Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor. The group statement challenges their faith community by calling for a model of church built on a "discipleship of equals" and a style of universal leadership that is collaborative, dialogic and open to fundamental change.
As the United States' oldest and largest organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, and their families and friends, DignityUSA President Robert F. Miailovich said:
"Dignity recognizes that if progress is to be made in the cause of justice and social improvement, it will be done in collaboration with other like-minded organizations and in dialogue with everyone. We support the full statement, but we particularly are pleased with its inclusion of matters of special concern to gay, lesbian, bisexualand transgender Catholics."
DignityUSA Executive Director Charles L. Cox pointed out that:
"The statement calls for a pope who will consider welcoming all persons to ministry regardless of sexual orientation; who is a respecter of the consciences of those who seek dialogue on theologies, moral teaching and policies in the church; who is a reconciler of all factions in the Church; who is a leader that recognizes and celebrates diversity; and who is a prophet that is tireless in promoting justice, equality, peace and nonviolence."
"Because we want the gospel message heard in our own time, we seek to build a church that is welcoming for all people and open to restoring Christian unity in the coming century. To do this, we have focused not on 'candidates' for pope, but on qualities of leadership." said Elfriede Harth, spokesperson for the International We Are Church Movement (IMWAC) that issued the statement. The statement and list of endorsing organizations was sent in mid-September to all members of the College of Cardinals and to Pope John Paul II himself.
IMWAC is an international network of Church reform movements. DignityUSA President Miailovich was one of the American representatives at an October 1997 IMWAC meeting in Rome that gave impetus to the present statement and other collaborative efforts.
A copy of the statement in Spanish, and contact information for each of the endorsing organizations is available upon request.
"Now is the acceptable time" (2 Cor. 6) for Catholics throughout the whole world to reflect on what type of leadership, indeed what model of church, we need for the new millennium.
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) invited all of us to read the signs of the times in the light of the gospel. It called our faith community to perpetual renewal. We have tried to be faithful to that call as we examine the life of our church and our need for a Bishop of Rome who can lead our faith community in a "universal agap=E9," or assembly of charity.
The millennium now passing away has been an age of division among Christians. It is our hope that the third millennium will become an age of reconciliation and unity.
In this spirit, Pope John Paul II invited all Christians to reflect on the future of the Papacy "...that we may seek - together, of course - the forms in which this ministry [of Peter] may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned ... to find a way of exercising the primacy which, while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation." (Ut Unum Sint, No.95).
At the same time, voices within the World Council of Churches are calling all Christian churches to commit themselves in the year 2000 to begin preparation for a Universal Christian Council.
We join our voices with these calls, and declare our readiness to renew our faith community in light of the signs of our times, and to dialogue and work with other churches on the basis of equality.
To realize these dreams, we offer our reflections on the qualities needed by our age in the next Bishop of Rome. We share our thoughts in the spirit of the woman in the gospel who mixed yeast with flour so that her bread might expand and nourish a community. This is our "yeast."
To build a vibrant church in the new millennium, we need to listen once again to Jesus and his first disciples who preached the equality of all persons (Matt. 23; 11-12; Luke 22: 24-26; Gal. 3:28). We need to build structures in our church which reflect that equality so that we may live, pray and minister to one another as a "discipleship of equals." Only then will we follow the example of Jesus who sends the Spirit, not to a small group, but to the whole community of faith. Only then will we live out the teaching of Vatican II which recognizes us all as the People of God, co-responsible for decision- making in the life of our church.
We need to restore a church that values dialogue and justice in its internal life as well as its approach to the world. We need to reestablish a church that respects and celebrates our worldwide diversity, a church in which there is freedom to live our faith in different ways in different cultures. We need to resurrect a church that recognizes the importance of local churches where the Word is preached in ways that local cultures can hear it. The building of this restored church is the work of the whole People of God, not only the Bishop of Rome, other bishops and the clergy.
We begin by urging that we restore the practice of the early church and develop structures that permit the People of God to participate in a prominent way in the election of all church leaders. This would include the election of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. This renewal of an ancient tradition will acknowledge the action of the Spirit in community of the faithful.
We would be greatly helped in renewing our church by a leader who reads the "signs of the times" in concert with the people, a collaborative Bishop of Rome who can listen as well as preach, and dialogue as well as teach. We need a leader who truly embraces and consults the sensus fidelium (sense of the faithful).
We especially need a leader who recognizes the awakening of women's consciousness as a significant "sign of our times." Women, more than half of our church, have grown conscious of their dignity and equality with men. They are calling our faith community to respect and implement that equality in its own life.
We need a Bishop of Rome who respects the differences among us as well as challenges us to live the gospel.
We need a Pope who distinguishes between his pastoral ministry as the Bishop of Rome, and the ministry of Peter in which he is in dialogue with the universal church. As Bishop of Rome, he serves the faithful of Rome as any bishop serves a diocese. He would retire at the age established for all bishops. As president of the worldwide agape, he would act as a brother bishop who invites the world's bishops to share leadership with him and with other members of the People of God who are called forth by the faithful. In that spirit, he would reform the Curia (papal cabinet) so that it might serve, rather than dominate, other bishops and the church universal.
But most of all, we need a Bishop of Rome and a Universal Pastor who is:
What we need in the new millennium is a Bishop of Rome who is a Universal Pastor.
Totaling: 139 groups in 27 countries (or: 29 countries/regions) and 6 continents | ||
AFRICA (1)SOUTH AFRICA (1) ASIA (4)INDIA (1) PHILIPPINES (1) SRI LANKA (1) EUROPE (63)AUSTRIA (2) | LATIN AMERICA (16)ARGENTINA (3) NORTH AMERICA (51)CANADA (6) OCEANIA (4)AUSTRALIA (3) | |
International Movement We Are Church (IMWAC)
Movimiento Internacional Somos Iglesia (IMWAC)
Luigi de Paoli
Noi Siamo Chiesa
Via U. Vivaldi, 10
I-00122 Roma
Tel.: ++39-(0)6-56 47 06 68
Fax: ++39-(0)6-56 47 06 68
e-mail: luigi.depaoli@eurodatabank.com
Maureen Fiedler, SL
National Coordinator,
Catholics Speak Out
P.O. Box 5206
Hyattsville, MD 20782 USA
Tel.: ++1-(0)301.699-0042
Fax: ++1-(0)301-864-2182
e-mail: cso@quixote.org
Dr. Thomas Plankensteiner
Plattform "Wir sind Kirche"
Salurner Str. 10
A-6020 Innsbruck
Tel.: ++43-(0)512-56 57 66
Fax: ++43-(0)512-56 57 66
e-mail: t.plankensteiner@tirol.com
Elfriede Harth
Spokesperson
International Movement
We Are Church (IMWAC)
28, rue des Etats Généraux
F - 78000 Versailles
Tel.: ++33-(0)1-39490554 Fax: ++33-(0)1-39490244
e-mail: imwac@aol.com
Versailles, September 20, 1998
Dear Cardinal....,
We are faithful Catholic women and men of the People of God worldwide. Inspired by the Second Vatican Council, we feel impelled to assume co- responsibility for our Church and for the effective preaching of the gospel in the world today. This sense of CO-responsibility has led us to reflect on the leadership needed in the Roman Catholic Church for today and the time to come.
Pope John Paul II, the present Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Church Universal, has now completed twenty years of faithful service to our community worldwide in this double ministry. In those years, he has been a strong and unique presence in the world at large as well as the church. He played a pivotal role in the demise of totalitarianism in Poland and Eastern Europe. He has promoted peace and non-violence, urged an end to racism and ethnic hatreds, advocated for the needs of the poor and tried to heal long-standing antagonisms between the Christian and Jewish people.
Pope John Paul II is aware that the ministry of unity in our church and the leading of God's people will be enormously significant in the Third Millennium. Consequently, in Ut Unum Sint (n.95), he asked all those who are concerned about the future of the church to reflect on the "forms in which this ministry [of Peter] may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned to find a way of exercising the primacy which, while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation."
With great respect, we accept this challenge. We want to contribute our reflections to the worldwide process of discerning the characteristics needed by the person who will be called to be the "Servant of the Servants of God."
Pope John Paul II's health is a matter on constant speculation in the media, and some commentators have begun to analyze the gifts and backgrounds of those who might succeed him. But neither the Pope's health nor media speculation prompts our statement. Indeed, we seek to encourage public discussion on this important and delicate issue at a time when Pope John Paul II himself can take part in it.
The gospel urges us to be prayerful and reflective. The Second Vatican Council calls us to read the signs of our times. We have tried to follow that path as we considered the type of leadership we need and developed a statement to share with our brothers and sisters worldwide. We believe that this process must precede any examination of the qualifications of specific candidates for Bishop of Rome.
Thus, we Catholic women and men from around the world have reflected with great care on the model of church which we believe we need, and on the qualities needed in the next Bishop of Rome in order to maintain the unity of our church. The Universal Pastor we envision would be collaborative in style, inviting the world's bishops to share leadership with him and with other members of the People of God. He would listen as well as preach and dialogue as well as teach. As a brother bishop, he would retire at the age established for all bishops. He would respect the equality of all the faithful and end any discriminatory barriers to participation in ministries and decision making. This leader would embody the spirit of ecumenism, recognizing the Spirit of Jesus in all Christian churches, and dialogue with them to bring about the dream of Christian unity. And he would be a lover of the poor and marginalized, promoting justice in our world as well as our church. We encourage you to read and reflect upon our full statement that is enclosed.
This letter has been sent to Pope John Paul II and to all members of the College of Cardinals. Within a few days, it will be released to the media worldwide so that we may share our reflections with our global faith community.
Please know that we will pray for your deliberations and decision making from now until the time that the conclave selects a new "Pope for the Time to Come."
On behalf of the hundreds of thousands who authorized us to send you this statement, and especially those groups who formalized their agreement and whose names appear at the end of the statement,
Elfriede Harth, Spokesperson
International We Are Church Movement (IMWAC)
Movimiento Internacional Somos Iglesia
P.S. If you wish to respond to our reflections personally, please feel free to send them to:
Elfriede Harth, Spokesperson
International We Are Church Movement (IMWAC)
Movimiento Internacional Somos Iglesia
28, Rue Des Etats Généraux
F - 78000 Versailles
FRANCE
Fax: +331-39490244
E-mail: IMWAC@aol.com
International Movement We Are Church (IMWAC)
Movimiento Internacional Somos Iglesia (IMWAC)
Luigi de Paoli
Noi Siamo Chiesa
Via U. Vivaldi, 10
I-00122 Roma
Tel.: ++39-(0)6-56 47 06 68
Fax: ++39-(0)6-56 47 06 68
e-mail: luigi.depaoli@eurodatabank.com
Maureen Fiedler, SL
National Coordinator,
Catholics Speak Out
P.O. Box 5206
Hyattsville, MD 20782 USA
Tel.: ++1-(0)301.699-0042
Fax: ++1-(0)301-864-2182
e-mail: cso@quixote.org
Dr. Thomas Plankensteiner
Plattform "Wir sind Kirche"
Salurner Str. 10
A-6020 Innsbruck
Tel.: ++43-(0)512-56 57 66
Fax: ++43-(0)512-56 57 66
e-mail: t.plankensteiner@tirol.com
Elfriede Harth
Spokeperson
International Movement
We Are Church (IMWAC)
28, rue des Etats Généraux
F - 78000 Versailles
Tel.: ++33-(0)1-39490554 Fax: ++33-(0)1-39490244
e-mail: imwac@aol.com
14th of September, Feast of the Holy Cross
Pope John Paul II
Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano
I 00120 Citt=E0 del Vaticano
Dear Brother John Paul II,
Bishop of Rome and Minister of the Unity of the Church,
Servant of the Servants of God,
As your brothers and sisters in the faith of Jesus Christ, we write to share with you a statement that is the fruit of deep prayerful reflection by thousands of faithful Catholics around the globe. It expresses a vision of church and church leadership animated by the Spirit of Pentecost that calls us to "see visions" and "dream dreams" that bring our faith community ever closer to living the ideals of the gospel (Acts 2: 17).
We share this statement in a spirit of respect, offering you our prayers and congratulations on the occasion of your 20th anniversary as the Bishop of Rome and Minister of Unity in our Church.
We share with you a deep love for our church and a desire that it be a sacrament of liberation and sanctification in the world of our own time and in the millennium about to begin. In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, we assume our responsibility for announcing and implementing the message that Jesus proclaimed and entrusted to us: "The Spirit of Our God is upon me because the Most High has anointed me to bring the Good News to those who are poor. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to those who are captive, recovery of sight to those who are blind, and release to those in prison - to proclaim the year of Our God's favor" (Luke 4,18-19).
The institutional church plays a particularly important role in making God visible among us. The Second Vatican Council encouraged us to participate fully in the life of our church. Thus we are all charged with watching carefully that the "body language" of this institution is congruent with the message of love and liberty proclaimed in the gospel and revealed to us as God guides us through history. This concern has moved us to urge a fundamental institutional renewal so that the gospel message might be heard by future generations.
Your writings and homilies attest to your love for the Church and your deep sense of responsibility for the institution. Although your vision of church and ours diverge in several respects, we are both animated by our faith, by the quest for a more loving and unified community and by an ardent desire to spread the gospel of Jesus with new vigor and enthusiasm in the coming millennium.
In your apostolic letter, Ut Unum Sint (n.95), you asked all those who care about the future of the church to reflect on the "...forms in which this ministry [of Peter] may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned...to find a way of exercising the primacy which, while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation."
We have accepted your challenge with our enclosed statement. You have called us to think about the future, about the qualities necessary to lead the next generation and ultimately about your successor as the Bishop of Rome. Because of your leadership, we have chosen this significant date in the history of your ministry to encourage a widespread public dialogue about these questions which are raised in UT Unum Sint.
Our statement matured through a rich dialogue process among groups that span the globe. We hope this is only the beginning of a process of wide participation by the Catholic faithful, as well as those of other faith traditions, in reflecting on the church of the future and the type of leadership that is needed. Ours is a modest contribution, but we offer it as our answer to your challenge in UT Unum Sint.
May we all have the courage, as a community of faith, to incarnate the love of God in our world. May we all follow the example of the young Mary of Nazareth that called us 2000 years ago to be open to the Spirit of God so that we might share the fruits of that Spirit with the world. And may we follow the example of Jesus who welcomed everyone as sisters and brothers, children of one God in a discipleship of equals.
Yours respectfully,
Elfriede Harth
Spokesperson, International Movement We Are Church