Catholic Church Reform International
| Abbreviation | CCRI |
|---|---|
| Formation | June 2013 |
| Founders | Rene Reid, Robert Blair Kaiser |
| Type | Religious reform network |
| Purpose | Reform of the Catholic Church |
Director | Rene Reid |
Catholic Church Reform International (CCRI) is an international network of Catholic organizations and individuals that advocates reform of the Catholic Church, working primarily through online collaboration. It was founded in June 2013, shortly after the election of Pope Francis, by Rene Reid, a writer and former member of a religious order based in Reno, Nevada, and the journalist Robert Blair Kaiser.[1][2] The network takes the principles of the Second Vatican Council rather than strict institutional observance as its point of reference.[3]
Overview
Reid, who is based in Reno, Nevada, has said she was moved to connect reform groups internationally after walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage and reflecting on Pope Francis's call for change in the church; advisers to the network have included the Benedictine writer Joan Chittister.[2][4]
The organization emphasizes social justice and environmentalism over strict doctrinal adherence, and supports the development of virtual and local small Christian communities.[5][3]
CCRI focuses on several areas of reform, including greater participation of laypeople in church governance, a reduction in hierarchical clericalism, equal participation of women in administration and ministry, LGBTQ+ inclusion, optional celibacy for clergy, involvement of church members in the selection of bishops, and efforts to prevent clergy sexual abuse. It also supports assistance for survivors of clerical abuse.[6]
CCRI produces a podcast series hosted by Reid, which addresses issues relevant to contemporary Catholics, including responses to the clergy abuse crisis, experiences of divorce and remarriage, and the perspectives of younger generations.[7]
History
In September 2013, CCRI organized a global teleconference of more than 60 reform-minded leaders from about ten countries, who agreed that lay Catholics should have a meaningful voice in church governance.[1] An open letter to that effect, circulated by about 100 church reform organizations, was sent to the Vatican ahead of Pope Francis's first meeting with his council of cardinal advisers, and the organizers held coordinated press conferences in several cities.[8][9]
In October 2014, during the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family, CCRI held a two-day gathering in Rome with other renewal groups inspired by the Second Vatican Council, calling for lay families to have a vote in the synod. Reid told reporters in Rome that while Pope Francis had asked bishops to listen to the people, no mechanism had been created for that to happen.[10] According to CCRI's own account, Vatican police temporarily confiscated Reid's passport before the group was allowed to display its banner.[1]
In 2015, CCRI supported the ordination of married men and circulated an alternative questionnaire on family life for the following year's synod.[11] In 2016, it issued a press release welcoming Amoris laetitia, Pope Francis's apostolic exhortation, and its invitation to greater grassroots participation in church governance, while expressing disappointment that bishops might not implement it.[12]
In 2017, CCRI joined other international reform groups in supporting the Brazilian bishops' initiative for a "Year of the Laity", which promoted increased lay participation in areas such as the selection of bishops, optional celibacy, and access to the sacraments for divorced and remarried Catholics and for LGBTQ+ people. The organization asked Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, to encourage bishops to endorse the initiative.[2]
In 2019, CCRI urged Pope Francis to include laypeople, among them abuse survivors and their families, in responding to the clergy sexual abuse crisis.[11] After the Vatican launched the Synod on Synodality in October 2021, CCRI took part in the global consultation process, and in July 2022 it submitted to the Synod Office reform proposals gathered from international meetings of lay Catholics, addressing church leadership, inclusion and marginalized communities.[11] In June 2023, the organization said it was disappointed with the North American continental stage of the synod and called for a wider range of voices in the Rome assembly.[1]
In 2022, CCRI established Young Seekers, an online small Christian community for young adults, which focuses on social and environmental justice and provides support for members facing personal difficulties, and which is aimed at participants who feel disconnected from traditional church structures.[13][11]
During 2023 and 2024, CCRI took part in the Spirit Unbounded assembly, held simultaneously in Rome and Bristol, England, alongside the synod, and supported a proposed constitution for the Catholic Church drafted by John Wijngaards.[14] In May 2024, it organized an international webinar of practising and non-practising Catholics, which produced a consolidated report on desired reforms that was submitted ahead of the October 2024 synodal assembly, and it held further thematic webinars on lay involvement in selecting bishops, on diocesan and parish pastoral councils, and on small Christian communities.[15][16] In September 2024, CCRI co-sponsored an online gathering of more than 200 Catholic voters ahead of the United States presidential election, whose participants urged church leaders to emphasize the full range of Catholic social teaching rather than abortion alone, and to speak against Christian nationalism and political violence.[17]
From 2025, CCRI broadened its focus to social justice issues including immigration enforcement in the United States and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and hosted a discussion series titled "1933 Germany: are we repeating history". Following the death of Pope Francis in April 2025, it welcomed the election of Pope Leo XIV and expressed hope that he would continue Francis's reform agenda, and in October 2025 its representatives attended the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participating Bodies at the Vatican.[18] In 2026, the organization worked with Ignatian Encounter Ministry and the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests to collect reflections from families through "Conversations in the Spirit", gathered for a Vatican meeting of the presidents of bishops' conferences on family issues scheduled for 7–14 October 2026.[13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "History of Catholic Church Reform International". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Church reform groups support call for Year of the Laity". National Catholic Reporter. 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Our mission". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "People guiding CCRI direction". Catholic Church Reform International. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Become more involved in CCRI". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Reforms we are seeking". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Catholic Church Reform Int'l". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Message for reform sent to pope, cardinals". National Catholic Reporter. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Catholic Church organizations and reform groups". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Vatican Synod tests the Pope's vision of a more merciful Church". MPR News. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Achievements". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Amoris Laetitia gives hope at the grass roots for a more responsive Church". Catholic Church Reform International. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Catholic Church Reform International". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "What's happening at the Vatican October 13, 2023". Catholic Church Reform International. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Global report on a consensus of needed reforms reached by cross-generational, cross-continental, cross-cultural reflections of Catholics" (PDF). Catholic Church Reform International. May 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Looking back over 2024 and ahead to 2025". Catholic Church Reform International. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "Catholics urge emphasis on church's social teachings — not just abortion — in election". National Catholic Reporter. September 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
- ↑ "As 2025 comes to a close what a year we've been through as a Catholic Christian Community!". Catholic Church Reform International. December 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
External links
This article "Catholic Church Reform International" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Catholic Church Reform International. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
