Catholics For Renewal

THE TIME HAS COME (28 January 2025)

Thanks to Donors, Supporters, Committee Members past and present, and Multimode IT, this content-rich website established in 2011 with numerous original, forward looking and well researched Documents, Editorials and Newsletters will be archived for around ten years from February 2025, reflecting the life, contributions and, for practical reasons, retirement of Catholics for Renewal from that date.

The global ‘Synod on Synodality’ concluded in late October 2024, not as expected by some in resolving the numerous reform issues extensively submitted to it by Catholics (mostly), but rather by establishing a significant new Church framework for what it already now calls a “new way of being Church”. Through a ‘synodal’ approach, all its members listening and working more closely, collaboratively and discerningly are now better able to less hierarchically progress significant issues over time, in the process effectively also re-connecting with Vatican II principles of being Church, while continually learning and renewing amidst the fast evolving times, understandings and needs of the world. Action for ongoing Church reform and mission now shifts more closely to people in the Parishes, inviting greater inclusion and deeper mutual listening, and discernment, in the spirit of faith. Despite that, as in any institution, there will always remain need for independent reform groups as part of Church reform. Growing numbers of these already exist in Australia and around the world, several spawned by Catholics for Renewal, whose value is now more widely recognised. Well researched Resources on this website should assist ongoing renewal and reform deliberations. At first we and other reform groups were considered by some conservative Institutional thinkers as a nuisance or radical. Then Pope Francis arrived, saying similar things. People in parishes agreed. Hopefully, what follows will form the future history of a more principled, respected, relevant, enlivened, transparent and mission focused Church, in a needy world. A history and resourceful overview of Catholics for Renewal’s work is accessible at the top of the Documents page. The ‘Original’ website as built, and rebuilt twice, follows:

eFlipbook – ‘Keys to renewing our Church together’

Ten Summary Documents progressively written by Catholics For Renewal to
support Plenary Council participation have been brought together as a free ‘eFlipbook’ “Keys to renewing our Church together” in conjunction with Garratt Publishing. They are intended to assist in understanding common terminology and key principles likely to be encountered during deliberation of the 5th Australian Plenary Council and ongoing Renewal Processes.

The eFlipbook, its component papers, or collective set, may be accessed at #93 on this website DOCUMENTS page.

Welcome

to Catholics for Renewal. This Website provides information on who we are, what we do, our aims and concerns. It provides current information in relation to renewal of the Church – aspirational, under pursuit, or as it happens in real time.

We welcome all Catholics who are committed to their faith and want a Church which is Christlike in all it does, providing leadership in the world based on the teachings of Christ. We are of the view that the institutional Church needs renewal in accordance with those teachings. We call for an outward-facing Church whose leaders are accountable, transparent and inclusive, and which advocates unequivocally for the rights of the oppressed and disadvantaged while tending practically to their needs.

Encouraged by a history of church renewal

Church reform over the centuries has been continual, but has required great patience, too much patience. Whilst daunted by the challenge ahead we are also encouraged by hopeful new signs of change, and some things that have already been achieved in recent times or are starting to happen. These include initiatives by Pope Francis, and global collaboration between a growing number of active national and international Church Reform and Renewal groups, thanks to unprecedented networking opportunities now readily available through new technology. Also see Church Mutation by Paul Collins.

Commitment

We are not content with seeking renewal of the Church. We believe that we all have responsibilities to commit to a better world. This website refers to a variety of social concerns and also identifies particular issues in which Catholics for Renewal is active, including the important area of clerical child sexual abuse. You are invited to follow or otherwise participate in our endeavours. See Contact Us.

This website provides opportunities for those who wish to express their views and/or support the process of renewal in the Church, either directly or indirectly. Catholics for Renewal comprises a diverse group of people who work rigorously and professionally in all our research, analysis and advocacy. We work as volunteers and welcome and encourage anyone with an interest in Church renewal to support the group, either by becoming a website ‘subscriber’ or more actively engaging with us. In any case all are welcome simply to use this website as an information resource or as a means of tracking the status of church renewal.

We need and want a Church where we are ‘all one in Christ, with no more distinctions …between male and female’ (Galatians, 3:28) and whose leaders read well the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the
Gospel.

We seek no more nor less than a Christlike Church, and we pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all we do.

Peter Wilkinson (President)
Peter Johnstone (Past President, former Committee Member)

There has been no charge for subscriptions. We have been supported by much appreciated kind donations and Committee Membership fees. All our limited funds have been used strictly and carefully for the purposes of Catholics for Renewal, including for communication costs.

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