Biskop Anders Now or never – Stöd Hans Küngs Öpnna Brev till biskoparna

“The International Movement We are Church firmly supports Hans Kueng’s open letter to the bishops in which he urges them to push for reforms. We are Church asks all the faithful to send emails and letters to their bishops and nuncios in support of Kung’s open letter. The present crisis and the inadequacy of the response to the crisis by the church authorities show with unprecedented urgency that structural reforms in line with the Second Vatican Council We Are Church also has been asking for for 15 years cannot be postponed. Now is the time to start these reforms:

1. The People of God have to be allowed to participate at all levels of our Church so that innovative ways to meet the

pastoral challenges of our time can be started. The faithful should have a say in the appointment of their bishops,

otherwise Rome will continue appointing bishops who care more for the institution than for their flock.

2. Ecclesial misogyny should come to an end and women be admitted to all church ministries, which need to be

ministries of service and not of power.

3. Celibacy should become optional, so that marital love is no longer a taboo for clerics.

4. The results of Human Sciences concerning sexual morals should come to be acknowledged and the primacy of the individual informed conscience should be respected.

5. The Gospel should be proclaimed as an invitation to life in fullness and not a means to discipline people through intimidation.

Pope Βenedict should understand the ever louder, world-wide criticism of his pontificate as an expression of deep concern for the welfare of the faithful of the whole Church. The Code of Canon Law says in Can. 212: “The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.” (§2.) “According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.” (§3)

http://www.wir-sind-kirche.de/files/1142_PR_100417_IMWAC_5YearsB16_en.pdf