PRESS RELEASE: Synod Report: Promising Start on the Journey for Change
Synod Report: Promising Start on the Journey for Change
Immediate Release: October 13, 2014
Call To Action is encouraged by the report from the Synod meetings in Rome. The statement by the Bishops make clear that they have not ignored the voices of Catholic families around the world who have cried out for a more pastoral Church. No changes in policy were proposed, but the change in tone reflects the breath of air that Pope Francis has brought to Rome and which has inspired so many to hope for change.
The document lays out what Catholics have long known: that families have intrinsic value and exemplify love even when they don’t fit the rigid definitions of the hierarchy. We know that single mothers, civilly married couples, LGBT families and other diverse unions bring important gifts to our Church. It is refreshing to see our leaders acknowledge that reality.
While Catholic families are eager to be heard and listened to, and while tone and language are important, diverse families are also looking for substantive and real change which reflects the full dignity and gifts they bring to the church. “The Spirit was clearly at work in the Synod,” said Call To Action Executive Director Jim FitzGerald. “We pray that this positive shift in tone and language will also mean changes in hurtful and dated policies.”T he document urges pastors to continue to listen to families in preparation for next Synod on the Family in October 2015.
We hope our leaders take this time to continue to learn about the many ways diverse families are responding in love and faith to the challenges and joys facing them today. Catholics will continue to walk together in building a more welcoming and inclusive Church. This report is a hopeful and promising start on the journey for real change and true inclusion. Let us, together, continue to pray for the renewed Church we know is possible.
####
Contact: Ellen Euclide, Director of Programs 773.404.0004 ext. 261 ellen@cta-usa.org
Call To Action is a national organization working for equality and justice in the Catholic Church today. CTA educates, inspires and activates Catholics to act for justice and build inclusive communities through a lens of anti-racism and anti-oppression principles. For more information about CTA, visit us online at: www.cta-usa.org
