Media Release

10th February, 2005

We Are Church welcomes the questioning of an ill pope's ability to fulfil

his tasks

The international movement We Are Church.IMWAC welcomes Cardinal Achille

Silvestrini's initiative to find, after this pontificate, new regulations

for the case of a sick pope unable to fulfil his tasks. "In a new

pontificate one could think differently about situations such as illness and

aging. Today, however, nobody may address this problem", said former Vatican

"Minister of Foreign Affairs" a few days ago in an interview with the

Italian daily paper "Quotidiano Nazionale".

Already on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the pontificate of John

Paul II. on 16th October 2003 We Are Church had declared that the stepping

down of the Pope would be a sign of wisdom and serving the Church. Thus the

predominance of the Roman Catholic Curia would finally be stopped and their

taking advantage of the frailty of the almost 85 year-old pope, having

determined the course of the Roman Catholic church for a long time already.

Like the bishops and cardinals the Pope, too, as Bishop of Rome should

abdicate, which is possible according to Canon law. Clear regulations have

also to be found for the event of a serious illness. For it must be doubted

that a seriously ill pope can guide actively from the sickbed the Roman

Catholic church with more than a billion members for a longer period.

According to Canon law there are certain crucial tasks that cannot be

delegated.

For further information please contact:

C h r i s t i a n W e i s n e r

Chair of the International Movement WE ARE CHURCH

Hildesheimer Str. 103 D-30173 Hannover

Tel.: +49-511-80 00 10 mobile: +49-172-518 40 82

Fax: +49-511-988 60 50

eMail: media@we-are-church.org Internet: www.we-are-church.org