"Now is the acceptable time" (2 Cor. 6) for Catholics throughout the whole world to reflect on what type of leadership, indeed what model of church, we need for the new millennium.

The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) invited all of us to read the signs of the times in the light of the gospel. It called our faith community to perpetual renewal. We have tried to be faithful to that call as we examine the life of our church and our need for a Bishop of Rome who can lead our faith community in a "universal agapé," or assembly of charity.

The millennium now passing away has been an age of division among Christians. It is our hope that the third millennium will become an age of reconciliation and unity.

In this spirit, Pope John Paul II invited all Christians to reflect on the future of the Papacy "…that we may seek - together, of course - the forms in which this ministry [of Peter] may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned…to find a way of exercising the primacy which, while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation." (Ut Unum Sint, No.95).

At the same time, voices within the World Council of Churches are calling all Christian churches to commit themselves in the year 2000 to begin preparation for a Universal Christian Council.

We join our voices with these calls, and declare our readiness to renew our faith community in light of the signs of our times, and to dialogue and work with other churches on the basis of equality.

To realize these dreams, we offer our reflections on the qualities needed by our age in the next Bishop of Rome. We share our thoughts in the spirit of the woman in the gospel who mixed yeast with flour so that her bread might expand and nourish a community. This is our "yeast."

We need to restore a church that values dialogue and justice in its internal life as well as its approach to the world. We need to reestablish a church that respects and celebrates our worldwide diversity, a church in which there is freedom to live our faith in different ways in different cultures. We need to resurrect a church that recognizes the importance of local churches where the Word is preached in ways that local cultures can hear it. The building of this restored church is the work of the whole People of God, not only the Bishop of Rome, other bishops and the clergy.

We begin by urging that we restore the practice of the early church and develop structures that permit the People of God to participate in a prominent way in the election of all church leaders. This would include the election of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. This renewal of an ancient tradition will acknowledge the action of the Spirit in community of the faithful.

We especially need a leader who recognizes the awakening of women's consciousness as a significant "sign of our times." Women, more than half of our church, have grown conscious of their dignity and equality with men. They are calling our faith community to respect and implement that equality in its own life.

We need a Bishop of Rome who respects the differences among us as well as challenges us to live the gospel.

We need a Pope who distinguishes between his pastoral ministry as the Bishop of Rome, and the ministry of Peter in which he is in dialogue with the universal church. As Bishop of Rome, he serves the faithful of Rome as any bishop serves a diocese. He would retire at the age established for all bishops. As president of the worldwide agapé, he would act as a brother bishop who invites the world's bishops to share leadership with him and with other members of the People of God who are called forth by the faithful. In that spirit, he would reform the Curia (papal cabinet) so that it might serve, rather than dominate, other bishops and the church universal.

But most of all, we need a Bishop of Rome and a Universal Pastor who is:

*a visionary leader who promotes a profound discernment on church ministry by all the People of God and calls them to consider the possibility of welcoming into ministry all those qualified whatever their gender, marital status or sexual orientation;

*a respecter of the consciences of Catholics who calls forth a genuine public dialogue on the theologies, moral teaching and policies in the church so that our faith community might share experiences, begin to heal its alienation and resurrect a sense of unity and enthusiasm for the faith;

*a pastor who encourages academic freedom for theologians and other scholars in order to foster a healthy diversity of opinions in the church;

*a reconciler who welcomes "liberals" and "conservatives" to share the same church;

*a leader who recognizes the cultural pluralism of the church and celebrates the diversity that flowers in different parts of our world;

*a collaborator with a sense of history who is willing to restore the tradition of full participation of the people in church and who invites all Catholics to share governance and decision-making, including the election of church leaders;

*a pioneer who encourages initiative and experimentation and calls Catholics to develop an adult sense of responsibility for their faith community;

*an ecumenist who engages in serious dialogue with Christians of the Reformation and Orthodox traditions in an effort to bring about the dream of Christian unity;

*a brother to the Jewish people who will work to dismantle any vestiges of anti-Semitism and build strong bonds of spiritual kinship that recognize our common heritage flowing from Abraham and Sarah;

*a student of religious traditions other than Christianity and Judaism who welcomes interfaith dialogue, and seeks to learn from the rich diversity of insights in these traditions;

*a lover whose arms embrace the world and whose policies express a special solidarity with the poor and oppressed;

*a prophet who is tireless in promoting justice, equality, peace and nonviolence in our world and in our church;

*a lover of the earth who recognizes and promotes the integrity of all creation;

*a gentle soul with a sense of humor; and

*a Brother Bishop who can happily shed the trappings of the powerful of this world (Luke 22: 25-26) and walk with us as we together re-create our community of faith to make the Spirit of Jesus come alive in the third millennium.

WOSA (Women's Ordination: South Africa)

Nihon Katorikku Seigi to Heiwakyougikai

Philippine Federation of Married Catholic Priests

Hetadina Katholikaya (Paranambalama)

Plattform "Wir Sind Kirche"

Een ander gezicht van de kerk

Europees Netwerk Oscar Romero Comite’s

Evangelisatie Levensnabij

Evreux-zonder-grenzen, Comité van

Waakzaamheid

Inspraak

Jebron, Open Huis Voor Vorming En Pastoraat

Netwerk van kritische christenen en

basisgroepen

OIKOS GoE

Priesters en Religieuzen voor Gerechtigheid en

Vrede

Steungroep Rechtvaardigheid En Vrede In

Guatemala

Vier- en Leerhuis

Vlaamse Werkgroep Mensenrechten in de Kerk

Werkplaats voor Theologie en Maatschappij

Communauté de l'Escaux-de Schelde

Communautés d’Eglise du Monde Ouvrier

(CEMO’s) - Charleroy

Evangile et Vie

Evangile sans Frontieres (ESF)

Hors-les-Murs

Libre Pensée Chrétienne

PASSAGES

PAVES-Mons-Borinage

PAVES-Tournai

Réseau Résistance

Chretiens pour une Eglise Degagee de l'Ecole

Confessionnelle

Collectif de la Valée d'Aigues

Groupe des Amis de Témoignage Chrétien de

l'Indre et Loire

Nous Sommes Aussi l'Eglise (NSAE)

NSAE HAZEBROUCK

NSAE Pays Basque

PLEIN JOUR

Initiative Christenrechte in der Kirche

Kirchenvolksbewegung Wir sind Kirche

Netzwerk Rhein-Neckar, Das andere Gesicht

von Kirche

Wir sind Kirche-Bruchsal

Wir sind Kirche-Diözesanbewegung Speyer

Wir Sind Kirche- Diözese Freiburg

Wir Sind Kirche — Paderborn

BASIC (Brothers And Sisters In Christ)

Noi Siamo Chiesa

Bestuur Acht Mei Beweging

Bestuur Passionisten

GOP (Vereniging tot Vernieuwing van het Ambt)

Initiatiefgroep Andreas

Katholieke Basisbeweging "De Duif"

Kerk Hardop

Mirjam Werkgroep

Oecumenische Basisgroep 'Het Kompas'

Open kerk

Speling

Stichting Magdala

Vereniging Pastoraal Werkenden — bisdom

Haarlem

Nos Somos Igreja

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en España

Comunidad cristiana de base San Alberto

Somos Iglesia

Col·lectiu de dones en l'esglesia

Catholics for a Changing Church

LGCM Roman Catholic Caucus

Son Flowers

St. Joan's International Alliance (GB Section)

We Are Church

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en Buenos

Aires

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en Córdoba

Proa-Argentina (Asociación Latinoamericana de

Comunicación Grupal)

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en Bolivia

Católicas pelo Direito de Decidir, Brasil

Movimento dos Padres Casados (M.P.C)

Movimento dos padres casados de Florianopolis

"Tempo de Agir"

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en Chile

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en Colombia

Colectivo Ecumenico de Mujeres biblistas

(CEDEBI)

Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en México

Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en Perú

Centro de Mujeres (Gaia)

Grupo Somos Iglesia

Catholic Network for Women’s Equality

Catholics for a Free Choice in Canada

Catholics of Vision: Canada

Coalition of Concerned Canadian Catholics

Concerned Catholics of Ottawa

CORPUS/Canada

The Association for the Rights of Catholics in the

Church

Association of Pittsburgh Priests

Call to Action - USA

Call to Action - Arizona

Call to Action - Baltimore

Call to Action - Chicagoland

Call to Action - Connecticut

Call to Action - Michigan

Call to Action - Nebraska

Call to Action - New England

Call to Action - Northern Virginia

Call to Action - San Antonio

Call to Action - San Diego

Call of Action - South Florida

Call to Action - Western New York

Catholics for a Free Choice

Catholics Speak Out - Quixote Center

A Chapel for Baltimore

Chicago Catholic Women

Chicago Women-Church

Church of Reconciliation (Upper Darby, PA)

The Community of the Christian Spirit

CORPUS (National Association for a Married

Priesthood)

CORPUS - Baltimore

CORPUS - San Antonio

Dignity (GLBT Catholics)

Federation of Christian Ministries

Fellowship of Southern Illinois Laity

FutureChurch

Good Tidings

The Green Nation

Loretto Women’s Network

National Coalition of American Nuns

New Ways Ministry

North Dakota Peace Coalition

The Open Window (Texas)

Parish Renewal Consulting Services (San

Francisco, CA)

Pax Christi/Maine

Priests for Equality

Renewal Coordinating Community

Save Our Sacrament/Annulment Reform

Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Ordination

Conference (SEPA WOC)

Southern California Women's Group (Indio, CA)

Women's Alliance for Theology-USA

Women's Ordination Conference

Australians Networking For Reform (ANFR)

Women and the Australian Church

Women Of The New Covenant

Rome 15-10-'98

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