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LINKS to RELEVANT SITES
| OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONAL SITES
Pope
Benedict XVI e-mail
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(English)
The Hierarchy of the Catholic
Church
Current and historical information about its bishops and dioceses
CALL FOR BISHOPS' ACCOUNTABILITY
BishopAccountability.org calls itself "he
largest source on the Internet of information about the Catholic sexual
abuse crisis and the bishops' responsibility for it. Among many documents,
[the site offers] . . . all four grand jury/attorney general reports (see
quotations), the key Vatican documents, and the 9,000-page archive released
by the New Hampshire attorney general, available on-line only" on this site.
While the sexual abuse crisis is not a main focus of ARCC activities, lack
of episcopal accountability in general certainly is, and this site
represents a valuable resource for anyone wishing to call our bishops to
transparency and accountability.
CATHOLICS IN ALLIANCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a non-partisan non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the fullness of the Catholic social tradition in the public square.
As Catholics, we inherit a rich social tradition based on Jesus’ call to love one’s neighbor and serve the least among us, and on the Hebrew Scriptures’ prophetic commitment to justice and righteousness. Our Catholic tradition calls us to participate actively in public life in the service of human dignity, social justice and the common good.
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good works to promote the necessary conditions for a culture of life - a culture that reverences the dignity of the human person over greed, materialism, and the politics of division.
PUBLICATIONS
America Magazine (USA) A weekly magazine for thinking Catholics
published by Jesuits.
Australian
EJournal of Theology (Aistralia): "Although sponsored by the Schools of
Theology at Australian Catholic University, it is our hope that contributors
and readers will be representative of all Australian institutes of
theological education."
BishopBhai.ORG (USA and
India): Tribute to Archbishop Leobard D'Souza (known as Bishop Bhai) of
Nagpur, India, and extensive collection of Bishop Bha's homilies and
articles.
Chiesa (Italy):
English-language edition of news, analysis, and documents concerning the
worldwide Catholic Church published by respected Roman journalist and
Vatican observer Sandro Magister.
Commonweal (USA):
Independent journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. "Commonweal publishes editorials, columns, essays, poetry, reviews of books, movies, plays, the media, a selection of apposite and/or funny cartoons, & lots of letters to the editors. Liberal? Conservative? Depends on the issue & the writer. From its founding in 1924(!), the journal has held that America has much to learn from Catholicism, and vice versa-a core belief that has survived severe testing in disputes over the Spanish Civil War, civil rights, Vietnam, Humanae vitae."
Just Good Company: (USA) Archived 2003-2004 issues of JGC, a
magazine in cyberspace, produced by the West Coast Compañeros Inc, a
group of former U.S. Jesuits mainly from the California and Oregon
Provinces.
National Catholic Reporter:
The NCR was founded in 1964, in the exuberance following the Second Vatican
Council. The online edition presents both astute analysis of current events
of interest to Catholics and a growing number of documents that can provide the necessary background for general discussion.
New Catholic Times:
new catholic times sensus fidelium is about invitation. It is not rashly bold, but it focuses unwaveringly on the Catholic principles of solidarity with the poor, the common good, the dignity of the human person and the presence of God in all creation..
The Tablet : The Tablet was
founded in 1840, and is loyal to the Church but not under its control.
According to the Tablet's editor, John Wilkins, "Our concern is with the
world as much as with the Church: with everything that is human. We shall
seek to inform and interpret as well as to comment. We shall seek to
entertain. Above all, we shall hope that in the future, as in the past,
readers may find in our pages that message without which the world
perishes."
CATHOLIC RENEWAL SITES
Amercan Catholic Council (USA): a movement bringing together a network of individuals, organizations, and communities to consider the state and future of our Church. We believe our Church is at a turning point in its history. We recall the promise of the Second Vatican Council for a renaissance of the roles and responsibilities of all the Baptized through a radically inclusive and engaged relationship between the Church and the World. We respond to the Spirit of Vatican II by summoning the Baptized together to demonstrate our re-commitment. We seek personal conversion to renew our Church to conform to the authentic Gospel message, the teachings of our Church, and our lived context in the United States. Our reading of the "signs of the times", as we experience them in the US, our plan and our agenda are set out in our Declaration. We educate; we listen; we facilitate discussions and encounters; and, we build toward an American Catholic Council at Pentecost 2011. At this Council we hope to proclaim our belief in the Rights and Responsibilities of US Catholics.
Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church (USA): Gateway to several ARCC sites listed below.
The Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church (ARCC) was founded in 1980 by lay and clerical Catholics in the wake of Vatican condemnations of such theologians as Edward Schillebeeckx, Jacques Pohier, and Hans Küng. ARCC seeks to institutionalize a collegial and egalitarian understanding of Church in which decision-making is shared and accountability is realized among Catholics of every kind. We are Church!
Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church -- Temple Site Main Site 1995 -1999. This site is no longer updated but serves as 1995 -1999 archive for the organization.
Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church -- Main site 1999-2003. This site is still updated occasionally and serves as1999 -2003 archive.
Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church -- Main site 2003-Present.
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| Call to Action (USA): "Call To
Action USA (CTA) is an independent national organization of over 22,000
people and 40 local organizations who believe the Spirit of God is at work
in the whole church, not just in its appointed leaders. We believe the
entire Catholic church has the obligation of responding to the needs of the
world and taking initiative in programs of peace and justice." The CTA front
page features frequently updated and topical resources. |
| Catholics for a Changing Church (UK) -- "To encourage sharing of responsibility while supporting
individuals and small Christian groups. To watch and comment on the workings
of the Church, urging it to change internally in its structures and
attitudes, and in its service to the world, particularly to the poor and the
oppressed and to God’s creation.To strive for honesty, justice and integrity
in the Church, to enable it to present the Gospel more effectively in the
modern world." |
| Catholics for Choice (USA) --
Catholics for Choice (CFC) was founded in 1973 to serve as a voice for Catholics
who believe that the Catholic tradition supports a woman’s moral and legal right
to follow her conscience in matters of sexuality and reproductive health. |
| Catholics for Ministry (Australia) CfM began when Frank Purcell and Paul Collins became concerned about statements from Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, concerning the Catholic doctrine of freedom of conscience. In his 1999 Acton Lecture in the US Pell said that Catholic religious educators should 'quietly ditch' the notion of the primacy of conscience. He continued 'This has never been a Catholic doctrine ... It is a short cut, which often leads the unitiated to feel even more complacent while "doing their own thing".' This is an extraordinary statement for a Catholic archbishop to make. He calls this 'the Donald Duck heresy' which, he says, 'rests squarely on the fallacy of overwhelming natural virtue.' This is the belief, Pell says, that all natural impulses are good. Donald Duck believes this and is never out of trouble! |
| Catholics Speak Out (USA): CSO is A Movement for Justice, Equality and Democracy in the Roman
Catholic Church. "Catholics Speak Out was born out of the belief that
progressive Catholics, committed to the Gospel and the spirit of the Second
Vatican Council, have been silent too long in the face of conservative
trends. We rode the wave of euphoria which flowed from the Council, but we
have reluctant to speak out and struggle with those who would return the
Church to its repressive past." |
| Catholic
Politicians Org (USA): This is one of several domains with links
to information available on the Web to help Catholics get actively
involved in the democratic process and help educate the public
concerning current issues that affect Catholic voters. |
| Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice(USA):
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) states that labor unions “are a positive
influence for social order and solidarity, and are therefore an indispensible
element of social life.” CST further teaches that “unions have the duty of
acting as representatives working for ‘the proper arrangement of economic
life’” and must play an active role “in the whole task of economic and social
development and in the attainment of the universal common good.”
(Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 305, 307, emphasis in
original) Contrary to those who hold that unions are a relic of the
industrial past, CST states that today “solidarity among workers [is]
more fitting and necessary than ever” and that unions are appropriate
“for all professions.” |
| Catholic Network for Women's
Equality--CNWE (Canada): Mission: to enable women to name their giftedness and
from that awareness to effect structural change in the Church that reflects
the mutuality and coresponsibility of women and men within that church. |
| Celibacy Is The Issue Ministry
(USA): Founded in 1992, CITI
Ministries is a lay organization that locates, recruits, certifies and
promotes married Roman Catholic priests to fill the spiritual needs of the
faithful. Citi Ministries not only serves as referral service throughout
the U.S., it offers legal certification for validly ordained Roman
Catholic priests to make it possible for such married priests to licitly
officiate at weddings and perform other ministerial functions. |
| Children's of Priets Org (USA): Welcome to ChildrenOfPriests.org. This site is dedicated to
the tens of thousands of lives effected by the fatherhood of Catholic Priests. The
life of the child and mother are profoundly changed by coming into this secret, often
denied subculture of the Roman Catholic faith. |
| CORPUS -- CORPUS is the
Association for an Inclusive Priesthood, which rooted in a strong Eucharistic commitment,
promotes an expanded and renewed priesthood of married and single men and women in the
Catholic Church. It is one of the oldest reform groups in the Catholic Church, and is
active in reform movements both in the U.S. and abroad. |
Culture of Conversation (USA): EPHATHA -- Be Opened!
Silence will not rebuild trust or contribute to the effective proclamation
of the Gospel. Let us work together to create a culture of
concersation, consultation, and collaboration among ourselves, within our
organizations, and with the official structure of our Church. |
| Dignity/USA (USA): Dignity/USA
envisions and works for a time when Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered
Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through the integration of
their spirituality with their sexuality, and as beloved persons of God
participate fully in all aspects of life within the Church and Society.
Through our national organization and many local chapters, Dignity works for
education, for the reform of the Church's teachings and pastoral practices
toward sexual minorities, and for the acceptance of all people as full
members of the Church. |
| Father Lasch Personal Welog (USA): From "Welcome and Website Protocol":
There are a variety of reform movements and organizations within the Church at the
present time. They all have their place. Some bishops have banned some of these
groups such as Call to Action and Voice of the Faithful because they view them as
antithetical to the mission of the Church. Although there may be individuals
within these organizations who may seek changes that exceed the bounds of orthodoxy,
I believe most active members are articulating the need to revisit and reexamine
teachings in order to recapture the ‘spirit’ of the teachings of Christ in the
Gospel. True dialogue more often than not bears good fruit and creates common ground
among people of faith and good will. The Common Ground initiative of the late
Cardinal Bernardin is a good example of the dialogue that should be taking place at
every level of Church life. |
| Fellowship of Southern Illlinois Laity (USA):
FOSIL – Fellowship of Southern Illinois Laity – is an organization of lay Catholics working, in the tradition of the early Christian community, to keep the voice of prophecy alive.
FOSIL recognizes our call from Scripture and The Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People from Vatican II to extend Christian social action to every sector of life.
By providing and promoting adult education, FOSIL works to further the reform and renewal of the Catholic Church and to ensure justice, equality, and dignity for all people. |
| Future Church (USA):
FutureChurch is a coalition of parish based Roman Catholics concerned that
Catholics will lose the Mass if nothing is done about the priest shortage.
In 1990 a resolution was passed by the Church of the Resurrection in Solon
Ohio (near Cleveland). The resolution called on U.S. Bishops to reconsider
opening ordination to women and the married, both men and women, so that the
Eucharist would continue to be the center of the spiritual lives of all
Catholics. Subsequently 28 parishes in Northeast Ohio supported this
initiative, and the FutureChurch network was born. Based in Cleveland,
FutureChurch incorporated in 1993 and began to network nationally in
response to other parishes concerned about closing or consolidating because
of the shortage of priests. |
| Hacia un Nuevo Concilio -- Towards a
New Council (Spain) Initiative Internacional a favor de un Nuevo Concilio en la Iglesia Catolica --
International Initiative for a New Council in the Catholic Church. |
| International Movement We Are
Church: In the Easter season of 1995 a small group of lay and ordained
Catholics in Innsbruck, Austria, used the political method of a petition
drive to call for a more loving, democratic, and generous church. In the
spirit of Vatican II, they asked that Rome (1) equally respect all the
people of God, whether lay or ordained, (2) grant full equal rights to
women, (3) lift mandatory celibacy for priests, (4) encourage a positive
understanding of sexuality, and (5) teach the gospel as a message of joy. |
| Irish Women's Ordination
Site (Ireland): BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST (B.A.S.I.C.), founded in
1993, is an Irish-based network of women and men (lay, religious, priests)
who feel called to play an active part in building up a Church Community
which is freed from the sin of sexism and healed from the divisions between
men and women. BASIC's mission is to foster women's vocations to a renewed
priestly ministry and to bring about the ordination of women in the Roman
Catholic Church, through prayer and action. |
| National Coalition of American Nuns (USA) Since 1969, NCAN has been working, studying and speaking out on justice issues in Church and Society. |
| One Catholic Voice For Action -- OCVFA (USA) also known as Spirited Lay Action, proclaims and commits "to form
loving, welcoming, inclusive, nurturing, empowering, supportive, sustainable,
and life-giving faith communities, respectful of all persons, guided by
the Holy Spirit, where our individual and collective voices are encouraged
and heard." |
| Online Catholics: An Online
Australian e journal (Australia): Online Catholics is a weekly independent news e-magazine led by
a lay team about contemporary Catholic life in Australia and the world. In
keeping with the authentic tradition of its Founder, Online Catholics has at
its heart, hope; hope for the renewal of God's people and hope for God's
Church. |
| Partenia: Bishop Gaillot's Cyber-See (France): Exactly one year after his January 13, 1995 forced removal from
the see of Evreux in Normandy Bishop Gaillot opened his website to the
world, inviting all to "write to me." His "diocèse sans frontières" has
expanded considerably, and is now available in English, German, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch versions. It features the bishop's letters,
journals, and an electronic catechism. |
| Pax Christi USA (USA): Pax Christi USA strives to create a world that reflects the Peace of Christ by
exploring, articulating, and witnessing to the call of Christian nonviolence. This
work begins in personal life and extends to communities of reflection and action to
transform structures of society. Pax Christi USA rejects war, preparations for war,
and every form of violence and domination. It advocates primacy of conscience,
economic and social justice, and respect for creation. |
| Priests for Equality (USA): is a movement of women and men throughout the world -- laity,
religious and clergy -- who work for the full participation of women and
men in the church and in society. A grass-roots organization committed to
creating a culture where sexism and exclusion are behind us and equality and
full participation are the order of the day. |
| Progressive Catholic Voice (USA): The Progressive Catholic Voice is an independent and grassroots forum for reflection, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas within the Catholic community of Minnesota and beyond. It is "dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, who heard and responded to God’s call to 'repair my Church,' and, in so doing, emulated the justice-making and compassion of our brother Jesus." |
| San Francisco Bay Catholic (USA): The San Francisco Bay Catholic attempts to provide arguments on both
sides of the important issues facing Roman Catholicism today n order to help
Catholics understand the official positions are as well as current Catholic
theological thinking opposed to those positions. |
| SEDOS--Documentation and
Research Centre (Italy) SEDOS (the name stands for SERVICE OF DOCUMENTATION
AND STUDY) began during the Second Vatican Council when seven missionary
societies began to meet informally in Rome to exchange information and views
on Mission in the Church. Excellent source of articles on interreligious
dialogue, ecumenism, and the role of women in the church. |
Servicios Koinonía--multilingual
Claretian site with many articles, such as:
PAUL F. KNITTER on a "Liberation Theology of Religions":
English: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/255e.htm
Spanish: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/255.htm
LEONARDO BOFF on "Dominus Iesus":
Spanish: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/233.htm
Portuguese: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/233p.htm
English: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/233e.htm
JOSE MARIA VIGIL on "Believe as Jesus Did":
Spanish: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/191.htm
Italian: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/191i.htm
English: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/191e.htm
JOSE MARIA VIGIL on "The Utopia of Jesus":
English: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/053.htm
Spanish: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/052.htm
JOAN CHITTISTER on "Religious Life Today":
Spanish: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/036.htm
JOSE MARIA VIGIL on "What Remains of the Option for the Poor": English: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/007.htm
Spanish: www.servicioskoinonia.org/relat/006.htm |
Takebackourchurch.org (USA):
Catholics in the United States have the power to start a radical revolution
in the American Church. What they need most is the realization that they
are not alone. Before the revolution begins, we need to know who we are,
how many we are, and where we want to go.If the word revolution frightens some American Catholics,
It is time to become seriously frightened, and the feeling should stir us to act as our Founding Fathers did when they wrote a Declaration of Independence, and resolved to fight for it with musket and ball. But we're not talking about a violent revolution. We won't even write a Declaration of Independence. We will write a Declaration of Autochthony, one that will challenge our priest-people and our people-people to work out a constitution for the American Church that carefully puts aside the Rome-based secretive, half-vast, culturally-conditioned, legalisms codified in canon law in return for the kind of servant Church envisioned at Vatican II. |
Theology Library (USA): A
stunning collection of over 100 pages with around 5,000 links (the growth
rate of this site is phenomenal) "In the spirit of the Second Vatican
Council." |
United Parishes (USA): A community of parishes affected by restructuring projects which are taking place in the Toledo Diocese in Ohio. We collaborate in order to educate ourselves on matters concerning the Catholic Church, and provide support for those who are affected by and/or are concerned about the Church's role in our communities. |
| Vaticanum Secundum (USA): This
website celebrates the Second Vatican Council and its promise for the future
of the Catholic Church. It is dedicated to the spirit of Pope John XXIII who
dared open the doors and windows of the church he loved to the contemporary
world. By this courageous act he allowed sunlight and rain to feed the foliage
and roots of the increasingly petrified tree of the Fortress Church. |
| Voice of the Faithful (USA): Voice of the Faithful will stay true to its mission and goals. We
will support survivors of clergy sexual abuse. We will support priests in
the faithful discharge of their vows. And we will work for structural
changes that help ensure that clergy sexual abuse does not occur again in
the Catholic Church. Ours will remain a philosophy of "centrism," of
providing a voice for all people in the Catholic Church. In this way, we
will "Keep the Faith and Change the Church." |
| Voice of the Faithful Bridgeport Proposal (USA): Voice of the Faithful In order to enable the faithful to “actively
participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church,” we
believe that the Church must recover its ancient tradition of seeking the
counsel and consent of the faithful. We propose that elected representatives
of the people from the parishes, as well as representatives of the priests,
and of the religious communities can give counsel and consent in the name of
the entire body, so that “what touches all, should be approved by all.” Some
of our proposals may necessitate changes in canon law, ever-evolving over
the centuries. With these thoughts in mind we offer for discussion and
debate five proposals: ..." |
| We Are
Church YOUTH at WorldYouthDay 2002: We Are Church (YOUTH) is a network
of teens and young adults, who are working for the renewal of the
Roman-Catholic church. We are inspired by the Second Vatican Council and
hope that the message of Jesus will reach out into the Third Millenium. We
want to inform young people about the reform movements in the Catholic
church. Our work is based upon the five points of the Kirchenvolks-Begehren
(Church Referendum/ Petition /Declaration), which attracted 2.3 million
signratures in German-speaking countries. |
| Women and the Australian Church (Australia) The story of Women and the Australian Church (WATAC) commenced in 1984 as a national project of the Religious women and men of Australia. While the WATAC organisation is Catholic by origin it is ecumenical by membership and has a commitment to working together with all churches and on an inter-faith basis. WATAC’s vision is to provide a forum for those searching for an inclusive church and to enable the voice of women to be heard on global and social justice issues |
Women Priests: The Case for
Ordaining Women in the Catholic Church. John Wijngaards' Website to
present the case for ordaining women in the Catholic Church. The site offers
a growing collection of evidence relating to this hotly disputed issue in
the Catholic Church. It contains scriptural, biblical and theological
material published on the Internet for the first time. It also contains a
substantial section dealing with women deacons. Ancient ordination rituals
that conclusively prove the ordination of women deacons to have been part of
Holy Orders, are made accessible. ARCC site editor's comment: Note
especially the book edited by Arlene and Len Swidler (co-fouder of ARCC), Women Priests: A Catholic
Commentary on the Vatican Declaration.
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Other voices
Another Voice
Questions From a Ewe
Challenges Facing Catholicism
(Bishop Geoffrey Robinson in converation with Dr Ingrid Shafer) |
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