Topic

Women's Rights

5,841 petitions

Update posted 8 hours ago

Petition to

Support Cardinal McElroy

Petition In Support of Cardinal Robert McElroy To: His Holiness Pope Francis and to the Members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: All of Us! As People of God (many but not all of us being actively practicing Catholics) we joyfully declare that the "tent" of our Church should be enlarged and made into a much more welcoming and inclusive one. Hoping to be guided by the Holy Spirit, we  join in urging all cardinals and bishops to respond positively and with enthusiasm to the inspired messages of love and hope in the tradition of Jesus Christ as they have been communicated by Cardinal Robert Mc Elroy, Bishop of San Diego. We refer, first, to Cardinal Mc Elroy’s February 3, 2023 article in America Media on “Inclusion”; second, his presentation, “Enlarging Our Tent: The Synodal Imperative Towards A Church of Inclusion and Shared Belonging” at Sacred Heart University on February 22, 2023; third, Cardinal Mc Elroy’s word's  questioning the “just war theory” and advocating for active non-violence at the University of Notre Dame on March 1, 2023; and, finally, Cardinal McElroy's response to those who have criticized him (including some who have apparently used, and abused, the word “heretic”). We plead to hear from the cardinals and bishops who agree with, or support, what Cardinal Mc Elroy is saying! We cannot fathom that there are so few, or none! Or are they too timid to display the courage (let us use the Biblical and now Synodal word for courage that Pope Francis now suggests--“parrhesia”) that Christ would expect from his followers? Cardinal Mc Elroy is often repeating certain questions of the marginalized in our Church including women, divorced persons, LGBTQ+ people,  immigrants and the poor which were raised by the laity in the recent parish and diocesan synodal processes.  Those concerns occupy center stage, in both the Synodal synthesis report prepared by the U.S bishops and in the Synodal synthesis report prepared as a starting point by the Vatican for the continental phase. Both emphasize concerns of marginalization and exclusion of people such as the divorced and LGBTQ+, among others, by the church. All bishops are called to engage in respectful dialogue and accompany each other; that does not occur when we ignore, disregard, or deride each other.  Pope Francis has emphasized that with regard to doctrinal matters, that the bishop may at times be “behind the faithful because the faithful can often sniff out the path.” How can that path be explored if dialogue with openness does not occur? This is especially so if discussion is not commenced on issues of exclusion and inclusion. The time to address these issues is now. If this does not occur, there may not be a meaningful opportunity to do so in the future; many, actually all, People of God now await the full dialogue and listening of the Synodal process which presents opportunities  for reform, correction, creation, growth and change within our Church under the teachings of Jesus Christ and with the guidance of Pope Francis, Cardinal Mc Elroy and so many other leaders like them. March 8, 2023   Respectfully submitted,                                                                                                       All of Us! as People of God, including Agape House Church & 27+ Lay Roman Catholics   c/o J. Riley P.O. Box 1050 Pearl River NY 10965. jrjrprny@gmail.com                           Please invite your family, friends and associates, anyone who seeks a more welcoming and inclusive Church as envisioned by Pope Francis, to sign

Agape House Church and 27+ LAY ROMAN CATHOLICS
204 supporters