Platform "We Are Church" distances itself from the illegal ordinations now as it did before
Press Statement, 2 July 2002
Translation by Colm Holmes
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In the various media reports in the past few days, the statements by the Austrian and German We-Are-Church-Movements have been mostly correctly reported, namely that both groups see the cause for the offshoots such as illegal ordinations in the insistent refusal of the church leadership to enter into meaningful discussions about a renewed ministry and an opening of this ministry tomen and women, married or celibate. Both groups believe that actions such as illegal ordinations are a signal from the grassroots against a paralysed understanding of ministry and the church leadership would therefore be obliged to respond with serious dialogue and not just with consequences from Canon law.
From this clear position of the Churchpeoples-Movement some have drawn the conclusion that the Platform "We Are Church", in contrast to its previous release of 5 June 2002, has changed its position with regard to the "women's ordinations" of 29 June 2002. This is not the case, as the Press Release of 30 June 2002 (see attached) clearly shows.
The Platform "We Are Church" distances itself now as it did before in all clearness from the illegal ordinations, while at the same time it maintains its criticism of the position of the Church leadership, which provokes such offshoots.
Criticism of the church leadership and the maintaining of our demands can not be interpreted as support for actions such as illegal ordinations of women priests or bishops.
I urgently want to correct this in so far as in some articles and reports the wrong impression was given.
With greetings,
Ingrid Thurner
Chairperson
We Are Church (Austria)
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Statement of the 30 June 2002
The Platform We Are Church regards the so called "Women priest ordinations" on 29 June 2002 as a clear signal of the unscriptural official position of the Roman Catholic Church, even though such actions cause more harm than good to the legitimate cause for the equality of women in the Roman Catholic church.
The source of such false developments lies with the attitude of the leadership of theRoman Catholic Church, who for decades have refused to enter into a forward looking dialogue, despite the pastoral situation and the wishes of a large number of church members for a new understanding of priestly service and the conditions for ordination. The "signs of the times", the discerning of which is the duty of the church, speak for a new image of priesthood, for men and women, for married and celibate people in this service. Together with the German Church Peoples Movement, the Platform"We Are Church (Austria)" calls for the discussion about the renewal of priestly ministry and it's opening to women at all levels in the church to be continued and intensified. Only then there will be the hope that future ordinations of women will take place within the structures of the church.
For a long time women have been working as religion teachers, Spiritual advisers, Leaders of communities, Pastoral Aassistants, in the diaconate and in many areas caring for the spiritual needs of the community. It can no longer be accepted that women should fulfil these roles everywhere where there is a "Shortage of men", but to withhold from them the helping powers of the sacraments, the official recognition of their services by the church leadership – and thereby also the Responsibility and Decision making for their formation is persistently withheld.
For a long time numerous groups around the world, as also the Church Peoples Movement, have called for the full equality of women in the Roman Catholic church; Continental-, Diocesan- and even some Bishops-Synods have signaled the need for a rethink about the question of women. It has long been shown that theologically there is no obstacle to the ordination of women, but the church leadership closes out all this and thereby prevents an orderly, forward looking growth of spiritual development.
The consequences of this are on the one side Offshoots like illegal ordinations and on the other side over reactions of the church leadership, which only threatens with the consequences of canaon law and thereby clearly exposes the lack of arguments of the teaching authority.
A living spirituality, thespreading of our faith and the celebration of the sacraments, are the fundamentals of Christianity and must have priority over questions of canon law.
In the hope and rightful expectation that the church leadership also accepts that these Christian fundamentals have priority over historical development, human and therefore alterable traditions, we are confident that ordinations of women will take place within the structures of the church in the not to distant future.
Ingrid Thurner
We Are Church (Austria)
30 June 2002
e-mail: i.thurner@tirol.com
Subject: Richtigstellung
Plattform "Wir sind Kirche"
nach wie vor auf Distanz zu illegalen Weihen
In verschiedenen Medienberichten der letzten Tage wurden die Aussendungen der österreichischen und deutschen Wir-sind-Kirche-Bewegungen dahin gehend richtig wiedergegeben, dass beide Gruppen die Ursache für Auswüchse wie illegale Weihen in der beharrlichen Weigerung der Kirchenleitungsehen, sich ernsthaft mit einem zu erneuernden Amtsverständnis und einer Öffnung dieses Dienstesfür Männer und Frauen, verheiratete und zölibatäre Menschen, auseinander zu setzen. Beide Gruppen sind der Meinung, dass Aktionen wie illegale Weihen ein Signal der Basis gegen ein erstarrtes Amtsverständnis sind und die Kirchenleitung deshalb verpflichtet wäre, mit ernsthaften Gesprächen und nicht nur mit Konsequenzen aus dem Kirchenrecht zu reagieren.
Aus dieser klaren Haltung der Kirchenvolks-Bewegungen wird teilweise der Schluss gezogen, dass die Plattform "Wir sind Kirche", entgegen ihrer Presseaussendung vom 5. Juni 2002, ihre Haltung zu den "Priesterinnenweihen" vom 29.6.02 geändert habe.
Dies ist nicht der Fall, wie der Aussendung vom 30.6.2002 (siehe Anhang) zu entnehmen ist.
Die Plattform "Wir sind Kirche" distanziert sich nach wie vor in aller Klarheit von den illegalen Weihen, hält aber zugleich die Kritik an der Haltung der Kirchenleitung aufrecht, die derartige Auswüchse provoziert.
Kritik an der Kirchenleitung und die Aufrechterhaltung unserer Forderungen darf nicht als Zustimmung zu Aktionen wie illegale Priesterinnen- oder Bischofsweihen interpretiert werden.
Ich ersuche dringend, in Artikeln und Meldungen falsche Darstellungen unserer Haltung, sofern dies geschehen ist, zu berichtigen.
Mit freundliche Grüßen
Ingrid Thurner, Vorsitzende