Sir, – We now need a pope who will redress the present imbalance in the exercise of authority in the Catholic Church.
We need to restore the real voice of the Synod of Bishops as envisaged by Vatican II. More autonomy should be given to national bishops conferences and collegiality enabled at all levels in the church.
We need a new, more democratic process of electing key office holders in the church including bishops, cardinals and experts of papal commissions.
Until the key insights and principles of Vatican II are properly pursued, the Catholic Church will continue to be increasingly isolated and irrelevant within the lives of millions of people across the world.
More than 160 leading Catholic scholars worldwide have signed a Declaration on Authority in the Catholic Church to mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. The number of signatories and supporters of this declaration continues to grow.
Our common cause is reformation of the governance of the Catholic Church so that it once again considers and addresses the moral and ethical challenges facing Catholics in the diverse locations and contexts in which they live. – Yours, etc,