FutureChurch
Mission and Vision
Our Mission: FutureChurch seeks changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in Church life and leadership
Our Vision: FutureChurch works for:
* Just, open and collaborative structures for Catholic worship, organization and governance.
* A return to the Church’s early tradition of both married and celibate priests.
* A return to the Church’s earliest tradition, modeled on the inclusive practice of Jesus, of recognizing both female and male leaders of faith communities.
* Regular access to the Eucharist, the center of Catholic life and worship, for all Catholics.
Guiding Principle: Future Church's activities grow from a spirituality based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Eucharist, the Spirit-filled beliefs of the faithful, and the teachings of Vatican II.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you Catholic?
A resounding "yes." FutureChurch consists overwhelmingly
of Catholics in good standing. Our members include lay people as
well as priests and nuns. We respect the Catholic tradition and
are working respectfully to effect change in the Church because
we love it and want to make it better.
Are you affiliated with a certain parish?
No. However, FutureChurch considers itself parish-based because
the resolutions which founded it came from individual parishes and
because so many of our members consider the parish their primary
place of worship. Also, many of our FC projects are implemented
by parishes or parish groups. (See our mission
statement).
FutureChurch advocates for opening ordination
to all the baptized. Didn't Jesus ordain only men?
In fact, Jesus did not ordain anyone. Ordination was a practice
that started to occur decades later in church history. Jesus had
both male and female disciples (see "Jesus
and Women" link).
What is the priest shortage all about?
In short, there are too few priests to minister to the growing number
of Catholics around the world, and to accommodate growing pastoral
needs (what is provided by parishes today is much more than in past
generations). As a result, some parishes have had to drastically
reduce the number of times Mass or the other sacraments can be offered.
Eventually, all Catholics will be affected by this.