Statement from the FutureChurch Leadership Council
Responding to the 4/1/2004 Statement in the Cleveland Diocesan Memorandum
We are both puzzled and saddened by a recent statement from the Cleveland diocese identifying FutureChurch as “promoting an agenda that is not consistent with Church teaching,” and advising that “it is not appropriate for FutureChurch programs to be held in Church related institutions.”
FutureChurch emerged in 1990 when the parish council of the Church of the Resurrection responded to a decision by U.S. Bishops to substitute Communion services for Sunday Mass in parishes that do not have a priest available. The Resurrection statement was subsequently supported by 28 other Cleveland parishes and Catholic organizations as well as tens of thousands of Catholics nationwide. FutureChurch independently incorporated in 1994 as a non profit organization
separate from Resurrection parish.
The Resurrection resolution asked the American Bishops to “reconsider this decision and its implications, including a reconsideration of the issue of expanding the ranks of those permitted to be ordained as priests within the Catholic Church so as to include women and men, married and single, so that the Eucharist may continue to be the center of the spiritual life of all Catholics.”
At the present time, half of all the parishes in the world do not have a resident priest. Worldwide in 2002, there were only 405,058 priests (a decrease of nine from the previous year) to serve 1.07 billion Catholics (an increase of eleven million from 2001). During Pope John Paul II’s papacy, the number of priests in the world declined by 4% while the number of Catholics increased by 40%
Currently we also have 3.7 million lay catechists, 783,000 religious women, and 143,745 lay missionaries serving the worldwide church. Many of these faithful ministers could serve as priests if ordination were open to them.
FutureChurch seeks respectful discussion of these important issues:
a. Loss of the Eucharist and Catholic sacramental identity because of restricting ordination only to men who are willing to commit to a celibate lifestyle. This essentially makes celibacy more important than the Eucharist.
b. The systematic inequality of women in the Catholic Church.
c. Full participation of all baptized Catholics in the life of the Church as called for by Vatican II.
We believe discussion of such matters is deeply consistent with Catholic teaching (Lumen Gentium 12); Catholic canon law (212.2); and our Catholic tradition (Acts 15:22). We also believe such discussions belong in every Catholic parish, in every Catholic school and in every Catholic home.
The absence of these greatly needed conversations among Church leaders and laity about critical issues facing the Church does not serve the Gospel and is destructive to Christ’s body, the People of God who are also the Church.
With faith in Jesus who said “Be Opened” to the one who was mute, we ask our Bishops’ to promote a culture of conversation, collaboration and consultation in the Church. Then our life together can reflect Vatican II teaching that the Holy Spirit "distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts the Spirit makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks or offices advantageous for the renewal and upbuilding of the Church..." (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 12).
We embrace the guidance of that same Sprit as we continue our mission “to participate in formulating and expressing the Sensus Fidelium (the Spirit inspired beliefs of the faithful) through open, prayerful and enlightened dialogue with other Catholics locally and globally.”(from the FutureChurch mission statement).
We remain commited to ongoing conversation and dialogue with Church officials regarding our fidelity to Church teaching.
April 22, 2004
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