Response to Querida Amazonia

Posted on 02. Apr, 2020, in Celibacy/Sexuality, Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Feminism/Women in the Church, VocationComments Off on Response to Querida Amazonia

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Querida Amazonia, Pope Francis’ official response to the Amazon Synod, demonstrates that the “Roman Catholic hierarchy lacks the courage and vision needed to address the real needs of the world and its people”, says We Are Church International, an advocate for structural change in the largest Christian denomination.

In this second part of our two part series responding to Querida Amazonia, we hear from Colm Holmes, Chair of We Are Church International. He praised the Pope for his “wonderful dreams for social, cultural and ecological issues in the Amazon.” Holmes said, “We agree with the Pope that our church has significant responsibility for promoting immediate and significant changes in how the earth’s resources and the lives and cultures of indigenous people are protected. We urge all people to live in ways that reflect good stewardship of our planet, and the fact we are all one human family.”

Holmes went on to say, “It is tremendously disappointing that Pope Francis could not bring the same vision to how our church serves the people of the Amazon region, and indeed all people. Despite the explicit request of the bishops and people from the area, the Pope failed to open priesthood to married men or to consider ordaining women to the diaconate.”

Holmes noted that the document does recognise that changes are needed, even if church leaders do not know how to implement them. He says that in many ways they are already happening at the grassroots level and that the authorities need to catch up.

Miriam Gormally interviewed Holmes online to find out more.

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We Are Church International (WAC-I) 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.