Catholics call on the bishops of the world to “widen the circle” at 2015 Family Synod
21 January 2015
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Catholics call on the bishops of the world to “widen the circle” at 2015 Family Synod
Sixteen Catholic organizations have issued an open letter calling on the bishops of the world and Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, to widen the circle of auditors and experts invited to the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family. The Synod is to be held in Rome this October and should include Catholic representatives of many constituencies present in the church community. Catholics are being invited to sign the open letter until March 3, 2015, when it will be sent to the bishops and synod leaders.
Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, an organization of LGBT Catholics and supporters, said, “We are deeply concerned that the perspective and experience of a large number of Catholics will not be represented at the 2015 Family Synod. We are asking our bishops and Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri to include divorced and remarried people, cohabitating couples, interfaith families, impoverished families, single parents, families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members, same-sex couples, and families torn by the violence of war and abuse.”
“Pope Francis wants a synod that is characterized by a ‘culture of encounter.’” said Sheila Peiffer, Coordinator of Catholics Organizations for Renewal, a leadership forum of US organizations inspired by Vatican II. “He wants the synod fathers to recognize ‘the Lord’s gratuitous work, even outside customary models, ’” she said. “That is a powerful mandate that is only achievable if Catholics whose experience has a direct bearing on the issues being discussed are invited and heard at the synod.”
“Listening to Catholics who know the issues being discussed from the inside, from experience, is essential for meaningful dialogue,” said Deborah Rose-Milavec, Executive Director of FutureChurch, an organization promoting the rights and responsibilities of all Roman Catholics. “That kind of listening and dialogue will create greater understanding among the bishops whose final recommendations to Pope Francis will likely impact our Church’s pastoral practice for years to come,” she said.
Read the open letter at http://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/p/widen-the-circle or find it at ourcatholicfamily.org. ###
Sheila Peiffer, American Catholic Council
518.334.6076 Sheilapeiffer.acc@gmail.com
Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA
617.669.7810 execdir@dignityusa.org
Deborah Rose-Milavec, FutureChurch
513.673.1401 debrose@futurechurch.org
Organizational sponsors include American Catholic Council, Call To Action, CORPUS, DignityUSA, Federation of Christian Ministries/Roman Catholic Faith Community Council, FutureChurch, Loretto Women’s Network, New Ways Ministry, RAPPORT, Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Ordination Conference, Voice of the Faithful, and Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER), Women’s Ordination Conference, Women’s Ordination Worldwide