More Voting Laity for Synod 2024

We are Church International welcomes the dramatic reforms initiated by Pope Francis with the involvement of 70 non-bishops and 54 women as Voting members at the October 2023 Synod. We call on Pope Francis to move to EQUALITY at the October 2024 Synod with equal numbers of voices for laity and clergy. This could readily be achieved by inviting a large number of laity democratically selected by the People of God to join the 365 who took part in October 2023.

The diversity in the Catholic Church around the globe points to a decentralisation that leads to a communion of local Churches. An effective ‘unity in diversity’ in the Catholic Church would offer a prophetic testimony to a world in crisis. In line with the expressly considered collegial action in the Synod Synthesis [19 (g)], We are Church International calls on all Bishops Conferences to address through collegial action questions of doctrine that arise in the local sphere, as appropriate in their own countries. Every bishop should courageously make full use of his competences granted by prevailing Canon law such as assigning ministries such as preaching, marriage assistance or baptizing to lay people. 

We are Church International is pleased to see these overdue reforms, but there is still some way to go to reach all our 5 goals:

1.    Primacy of conscience

2.   Decision making actively shared by all

3.   Full participation of women in all ministries

4.   Removal of obligation of clerical celibacy

5.   An inclusive church welcoming for all

Colm Holmes, Chair We are Church International
Email: colmholmes2020@gmail.com      Phone: +353 86606 3636

Dr Martha Heizer, Vice-Chair We are Church International
Email: martha@heizer.at                            Phone: +43 650 4168500

W www.we-are-church.org

We Are Church International (WAC) founded in Rome in 1996, is a global coalition of national church reform groups. It is committed to the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the theological spirit developed from it.