Part 1

The reform of the reform

Reform-movements and priest-initiatives meet to reflect on their work and to network for further learning. An example for what “ecclesia semper reformanda” means.

The international church reform network (www.icrn.info) met in June 2018 in Pezinok near Bratislava. In this network, the “leaders” of different reform-movements meet among themselves together with a group of other interested people. This time, the local host in Slovakia gave a thorough introduction into their history as part of the hidden church in Slovakia in the times of the communist regime.

To learn from the hidden church gave a focus on different historical aspect. First and for all it allowed the question “if the Catholic church is a totalitarian system?” and whether the idea of a parallel Society, as developed by Charta 77 (http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/archive/files/declaration-of-charter-77_4346bae392.pdf)

members is also applicable to the contemporary church-reform-work. Different people shared different perspectives on this question including a range of answers, whether this clerical system was so connected with the Roman Curia, that there is no hope in reforming it, and on should rather go for the idea of a parallel society with no more fighting the old but building up an alternative. By holding differing answers in this field, the ICRN proofed to be a diverse network, in which diversity is seen as a strength.

The discussions around the Charta 77 with Martin Palous and a poem by Vaclav Havel in the appendix gave the whole network the idea, to draw courage from our heroes and heroines. To learn from the past and to see the depth of philosophical discussion and reflection, to give with just a few words the new direction that is needed and through this energize a reform-oriented state of mind.

The hidden church also taught the participants, that there are not only loud ways to protest but also times for silent and hidden reform, that through their endurance in creating something new. To differentiate when there is time for speaking up and when there is time to be silent and continue the good work without much media attention.

In those Times, they also developed a theology of the dying church and a theology of trouble. There both aspect, that huge parts of the church are dying forced a theological discussion already in the 1970s and 80s. If reflection happens on the current state of church and society, it makes also theological question appear, which want to be discussed.

Part 2

A Change in consciousness

During the conference, there were some remarkable changes in perspectives. So the outcome is not, that from the 4 working-groups, now there are 7. But how they readjusted their focus shows the best fruits of this meeting

The Fundamental rights group started with the painful comment, that many Catholics seems to have accommodated with the lack of rights and as much as they fight for the rights in the democratic states they are hardly conscious of the lack inside the institution of the church.

Church would be seen as a traditionalist alternative to the contemporary world. So how to mobilize for a new consciousness, that fundamental rights would give new air in the lungs of the church

Here the Charta 77 gave an example of naming with as few sentences as possible the new spirit of the time as relevant for the contemporary institutions. As the Charta 77 made only reference to the final declaration of the Helsinki agreement. It showed the gap between the rights on paper and the reality of oppression.

So, this working-group has set the task to narrow the catalogue of rights to the essentials

The working group that has formed around “the Lobingermodell of ordaining priests in the Parishes” presented especially the interest, this model has gained over the last years and how it helped to free the discussion from the only one and one-way-ordination (male, celibate and academics).

Team-priests from and for the community was a state of discussion to further think this model. But finally, it seemed, the word ordination was dropped at all, and the focus of

caring for the small communities and how the Eucharist can be celebrated and held alive in their midst.

The working-group on Women’s equality presented their previous work with introducing story-telling circles of “how women feel in today’s parishes”.

By reflecting on the deeper causes, they found out, that the equality is not an additional question to the church but an essential question. The church gets credibility by practicing what she proclaims.  “The church can only speak about justice, if she realized justice in all its internal question”. And there are many questions, where the standards of contemporary equality discourse, the legal structures and the economic transparency are not met by the church on many levels.

The LGBTQi working- group changed its focus to a group on leadership training for LBTI. The idea was to do something for the network itself, since the impression was that there is a need of information on LGBTIQ+ issues. Though the need of information differs, regarding the different groups. The experience, that the roman catholic LGBTIQ+ groups usually consist mostly (sometimes only of gay men), was shared by most. So an important question was, how to become really inclusive und who are the persons needed to be included.

A new group centers around Synodality with a precise emphasis to give some written materials to the key explanations to the key-visions of the reform movements

This is also a great place for the contribution of university teachers to the movements.

One example for these contributions was in the presentation of Herman Häring, that the theology on the episcopacy and its teaching authority is in itself narcissistic and therefore gives support to all personal narcissistic tendency of the episcopal officeholders. To distinguish the theology from psychology helps to solve the problem fist in the theology and not (only) in the selection of the personal. Who is called “infallible” can only turn our narcistic.

One further working-group does some preparation in clarifying our learnings during the papacy of Pope Francis in order to get clearer on the expectations for further years and office holders.

The seventh working-group tries through activist happenings to raise consciousness during the next synod on the fact, that only bishops will speak and vote and therefore 99.9 % are excluded. There will be an ongoing effort, to bring the awareness of the diversity of catholic experience into the decision-making processes. A special focus is on the representation of women at the synods.

Part 3

General direction

In today’s world, even the reform-movements have lost some momentum and their dominant narrative no longer communicates well. Therefore, an update of church-reform, in computer-language from version 2.0 to “church-reform 3.0” is envisioned but far from being completed.

However, church-reform 2.0 stays as homework as a future without married and female decision-makers is not sustainable.

Yet to connect with the reforming energies in our youth, with their fast and diverse engagement into different topics, like in the me-too-movement or in the fight against weapons of the youth in the US, to the recent participation of young people for a new political culture in Slovakia. Not to copy these movements but to maintain in the youth of today and to find ways to connect with this effort to forward our society also in its spiritual dimensions will be the challenge for the next years of church-reform.

For these further steps a new narrative is needed to communicate with the young by age and in mind) in the area longing for communal spirituality which has political and social implications.

This new narrative can only be born, when the old one is dissolved. During the conference, we at this point were more concerned with letting go the old on than with already creating the new:

Whether it is like with the Titanic, when some are still with the menu of tomorrow while others organize the life-vests and rescue-boats.

Whether it gets clear, that the clerical structure is like a dinosaur and it is up to us, whether we still feed them or leave it up to themselves so slowly die. 

More meetings in this Network are planned. As the leaders of these reform-movements made great friendships which helps to name difficult topics, blind spots and to show tears and pain. This seems like a good culture to grow the new.

Part 4

Hope  by Vaclav Havel

Hope is a state of mind, not a state of the world
Either we have hope within us or we don’t.
Hope is not a prognostication—it’s an orientation of the spirit.
You can’t delegate that to anyone else.

Hope in this deep and powerful sense is not the same as joy
when things are going well,
or the willingness to invest in enterprises
that are obviously headed for early success,
but rather an ability to work for something to succeed.

Hope is definitely NOT the same as optimism.
It’s not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense,
regardless of how it turns out.

It is hope, above all, that gives us strength to live
and to continually try new things,
even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do, here and now.
In the face of this absurdity, life is too precious a thing
to permit its devaluation by living pointlessly, emptily,
without meaning, without love, and, finally, without hope.

Havel, V., Disturbing the Peace, pp. 181-182

Part 5

Uniting for a Positive Resistance in Support of Pope Francis

Press Release of the “International Catholic Reform Network” (ICRN)

June 16, 2018

Pezinok/Slovakia. Fifty Catholics from 18 countries and 4 continents gathered near Bratislava, Slovakia from June 11 – 15, 2018.  Formed as the International Catholic Reform Network (icrn.info) in 2013, the participants of this year’s conference learned from members of the former Czechoslovak Underground Church about positive resistance. 

The group was inspired by the testimonials of the people who endured severe oppression under the communist regime of that time.

“We value the courageous acts of Bishop Davidek and others who recognized the pastoral need to bring the sacraments to communities of faith,” said Peter Krizan of the group OK21 – Society for Open Christianity for the 21^st Century. “We need to endure and be vigilant, so that we do not miss 21^st Century’s Pentecost.”, Krizan added.

“Their courage, integrity, and willingness to take risks for freedom and the ongoing life of the Church is awe inspiring,” said Deborah Rose-Milavec, executive director of FutureChurch, a reform organization in the United States.

“We are pained by the double oppression these people of conscience suffered at the hands of their government and the Church, particularly the women who were ordained during this time” said Kate McElwee, Executive Director of Women’s Ordination Conference in the United States. 

“By refusing to collaborate with the regime, these people found new ways to be church together and to live the works of the Gospel,” said Martha Heizer, board member of We Are Church International. “We strive to follow in their footsteps.” 

Following the Revolution of 1989, as political freedom became a growing reality, the official Church regressed to its discriminatory practices and lrefused to recognize the faculties of several of those ordained in the Underground Church, particularly followers of Bishop Davidek.

“Inspired by the Underground Church movement we seek to realize a more radical, inclusive, synodal, ecumenical, and justice-seeking Church,” said Markus Heil, Chair of the Pfarrei-Initiative in Switzerland and moderator of the conference. “In our discussions, some were still hoping that the church will change and others have given up on the current institution but are still engaged for the faith of the people.”

“In a two-fold strategy, the reform movements will continue to support Pope Francis’ reform approach and at the same time, foster new ways of leading Christian parishes as equals on a grass root level,” said Christian Weisner, board member of We Are Church Germany. “We strongly support the substantial reforms Pope Francis is implementing against strong resistance within the church hierarchy.”, he emphasized.

The ICRN members, in order to meet the needs of the People of God, commit to the work of women’s equality in the Church, LGBTQI rights and inclusion, empowering Catholics to claim their fundamental rights and responsibilities, and support the creation of new models for parish and Christian community life.

“I am impressed and glad to see that the working groups will continue their work and cooperation across such great distances,” said Fr. Helmut Schueller, Speaker of the Austrian Parish Priests Initiative.   

Participants of the Conference came from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United States. Italy and Kenia had to cancel their prearranged attendance at short notice.

Media Contacts:

Peter Krizan,  ok21 – Society for Open Christianity for the 21st Century

mail: peter.krizan@outlook.sk

cell: +42 191 095 1595  ok21.sk

Helmut Schüller www.pfarrer-initiative.at

mail: h.schueller@edw.or.at

Part 6

Insights from the world cafe: Where am i on my church reform journey

Ø  Like charta 77- speak free and connect

Ø  We give too much power to the hierarchy

Ø  We cannot stop the bishops on their way (money and power)

Ø  We are the grassroots – grassroots are tired of church reform

Ø  Don’t wait for doctrine to change before we change

Ø  Our way of doing /living – doctrine will change after practice has changed

Ø  Look with mercy at people who are prisoners of the idea, that they have to defend the past

Ø  Not all conversations have to be public

Ø  Fraternization with bishops (except Francis) waste of time

Ø  families are leaving the church, because they do not want their children to be brought up with catholic doctrine

Ø  the way religious sisters have been condemned /vilified

Ø  when you want renewal, start with it before you are dead

Ø  fear of displeasing people

Ø  if it bears fruit in one hundred years time, then it is worthwhile

Ø  dismantle clergy-centered culture as a daily practice

Ø  learnings: that we are under a totalitarian regime called the catholic church

Ø  The Catholics interested in church reform are older (and tired),

Ø  dialogue is not enough

Ø  Hierarchy does not wat dialogue

Ø  Intimidation works on people in Reform

Ø  No easy answers

Part 7

Letgo

Ø  let go: orthodoxy, creed, image of myself as a good catholic

Ø  Let go my expectations about church reform at high level

Ø  Get rid of the feeling: I have to save the church

Ø  Let go of anger at the establishment

Ø  Let go of the notion of church and parish

Ø  Let go of the men, liberation of the hierarchy via the women’s involvement

Ø  Release from repressed notions of sexuality

Ø  Let go of own ego

Ø  Let go of clericalism

Ø  Necessary ordination for priest’s ministry

Ø  Sacramentalism

Ø  Vertical structure of the church

Ø  Difference between ordained and common priesthood

Ø  No more collecting the wrongs of the church

Ø  Letting go of multitasking

Ø  Letting go of writing letters to bishops

Ø  Stop complaining

Scars and wounds

Ø  scars from exclusion /from church teaching

Ø  scars: undervalued by the church – patronization of the feminist movement

Ø  everywhere are wounds: clandestine church people not recognized, parishes dissolved

Part 8

Quote of the day (Tuesday Evening)

Ø  Don’t give up

 Ø  Let anger go of

Ø  The current church is an outdated automobile, we need to change it

Ø  How to be a church built it bottom up

Ø  The flower never sees the seed

Ø  The church can’t survive unless it becomes democratic and participatory

Ø  Back to diaspora

Ø  Spiritual exercise of discernment about the ideas between «saving and reparing the church and being responsible for Catholics as your brothers and sisters

Ø  The people of god not the institution is the presence of Christ in the world

Ø  Go on to heal wounds

Ø  Keep open

Ø  Empowering

Ø  Vision behind house churches

Ø  Puzzled by the church puzzle

Ø  We need a movement of mishap- less nostalgic, mora action

Ø  Longing for integrity

Ø  To bishops: i am not against you, i am only ahead of you

 Ø  Act with truth and courage: take every opportunity to model the church we dream / need

Ø  Action is based on our capacity to forgive. Thinking is not a solitary activity- it is a kind of dialogue

Ø  Christian become church in the public sphere: testify and attract

 Ø  Despite everything – hope

Ø  Openness

Ø  Creating a paradigm: openness as a must - let the dead bury the dead

Ø  Only theological narciscts become bishops

Ø  All the works of god proceed slowly and in pain but their roots the sturdier and their flowering the lovelier

Ø  Integrity both personal and in the church/community

Ø  Personal integrity

Ø  We are the official church

Ø  Invisible church as a way for the western european church

Ø  Space for speaking truely and connecting newly

Ø  From «semper reformanda» to «semper conformanda»

Ø  It’s all a matter of perception – enlarged

 Ø  It’s not so much a question of my scars but the fact that i cause scars to others

Ø  Hope is not optimism

Ø  Knowing when to call the plumber rather than calling a prayer-group

Part 9

BITS and PIECES for a  NEW NARRATIVE

Ø  Jesus knocks on the door, he wants to go out of the door of the Church.

Ø  I do not hope for change

Ø  Only minor aspects of the Church have changed

Ø  Start something from frustration…from beauty

Ø  IIt is self-defeating to talk about reform of the institution

Ø  Reform that is not hegemonic or Western/Euro centric

Ø  Theological narcissism

Ø  The Catholic Church is Jurassic park

Ø  We live in a dictatorship :  church vs society

Ø  IIf you come with the answers, you will miss the treasure of this conference.

Ø  Stop spiritualizing institutional problems.

Ø  Appreciative energy

Ø  Sometimes we look too high up for people who inspire us.  They are among us.

Ø  Live out our faith.

Ø  Something new is possible

Ø  Light

Ø  Free

Ø  Freedom

Ø  Attentive to the Spirit

Ø  Persistence

Ø  Communication

Ø  Commitment

Ø  Your work (LGBTQI) is very important.

Ø  Fundamental rights in the Church

Ø  Hold the energy

Ø  What is a priest?

Ø  What is Eucharist?

Ø  Zambia team ministry works

Ø  There is no “one” model

Ø  No “viri probati”

Ø  Community based Eucharistic presence

Ø  Team priests

Ø  Start from beauty

Ø  We need to see the humanity in our leaders

Ø  Being present to one another is critical to reform

Ø  Be a container of hope.

Ø  Wear down the bishops.

Ø  “I will not collude in my oppression”  Daughter to Father

Ø  Thinking is not a solitary activity.  It is a kind of dialogue.

 Ø  Action is based on our capacity to forgive.

Ø  Circle of equals.

Ø  Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb.  That is where the fruit is.  Sr. Luke Tobin

Ø  The theology of mishap / The theology of trouble

Ø  Strategies to implement

Ø  Assert fundamental rights

Ø  Equality of esteem

Ø  We need new language, new words for our work

Ø  Not levelling – unity  -- diversity

Ø  A Church of the poor

Ø  Listening to women

Ø  The world’s poor are women

Ø  Persistence and unselfishness

Ø  Appreciative inquiry

Ø  Respectful disobedience

Ø  solidarity

Ø  vision

Ø  community

Ø  determination

Ø  Holy Spirit

Ø  open space