Pax Romana, considered one of the oldest movements of Catholic laypeople, makes the proposals in a white paper released online Tuesday.
Among the recommendations: a global meeting of laypeople partially
tasked with helping the Vatican better include women in its highest
positions, and moving at least some Vatican offices away from Rome to
places around the world.
"As a witness and a sign of the universality of the Catholic mission
and communion, we believe that certain curial offices could be relocated
to major centers outside Europe," the group writes in its three-page
proposal, suggesting the Vatican might move some positions to Hong Kong,
Nairobi, or Beirut.
"We recognize the positive logistical benefits of having all curial
offices in the same location and the symbolic power of being in
proximity to the Chair of St. Peter," they state.
"However, we believe
that the relocation of some curial offices and/ or opening of satellite
offices outside of Europe would be an important witness to the call and
example of the Holy Father for the church to 'go to the margins' and for
the church to become a 'church that is poor and for the poor.' "
Organized as two separate groups for students and graduated
academics, Pax Romana was founded in 1921 and is recognized as a lay
association by the Vatican and has special consultative status with the
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
The group for academics, also known as the International Catholic
Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs, boasts members in more
than 60 countries across five continents. Its members are the leaders of
national associations of Catholic intellectuals and professionals.
Kevin Ahern, an associate professor of theology at Manhattan College
in New York who also serves as the academics' group's vice president for
North America, said in a phone interview Wednesday that his group hoped
to "stimulate conversation" about possible Vatican reforms with their
proposals.
"We're hoping to have a conversation within our members and at the
grassroots level ... at this important time in the church," Ahern said.
Before publishing their proposals, Ahern said, his group conducted
consultation within its membership and with theologians and others
around the world. "What we're the most important ideas ... that we had
to communicate in this period," Ahern said members asked of each other
and the others. The group, Ahern said, also sent out a questionnaire to
its members earlier this year asking what they regarded as the "Hopes
and Challenges of the Catholic Church."
Ahern, who previously led Pax Romana's international student group,
said the academics had sent their white paper to several of the
cardinals serving on the group of eight the pope has asked to advise him
on reforming the Vatican's central bureaucracy, also known as the Roman
Curia.
The cardinals' group met for the first time Oct. 1-3 and is set to meet again Dec. 1-3 in Rome.
While the Vatican spokesman has said the Vatican will not release specifics of the cardinals' agenda in those meetings, sources told NCR
after the first meeting of the group that discussions included a focus
on how to involve laity more in day-to-day operations of the Vatican.
Other reports
following the first meeting suggested that Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez
Maradiaga, who serves as the coordinator of the cardinals' group, wanted
the Vatican to consider creating a new congregation for the laity.
Rodríguez is the archbishop of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.
Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley is the only American serving in the
cardinals' group.
While there is currently a Pontifical Council for the Laity, making
such an office a congregation would give it a higher standing in the
Vatican bureaucracy, making it equal to the offices like those that are
responsible for enforcing church doctrine or selecting bishops around
the world.
Such a congregation for the laity, Pax Romana writes, "has a great
potential to engender and strengthen a common sense of mission among
international associations, communities and congregations with different
charisms, spiritualties and methodologies."
Proposing a global meeting of all international lay groups recognized
by the Vatican, the academics also call for "greater efforts" to
include the voices of laywomen in the Curia.
"The number of lay women, and in particular those who are not in
consecrated life ... has not grown much since Paul VI," they write.
"International lay associations can help the curia identify qualified
women with diverse experiences to share their gifts with the Church."
Pax Romana also calls for better day-to-day support of Catholic
laypeople from the Vatican, suggesting a new position in the Curia akin
to a lay liaison.
"More is needed than occasional thematic conferences and large-scale
events like the World Youth Day," the academics write. "While these are
important, special attention should be given to support the day-to-day
apostolic efforts and training programs of international associations of
young people, students, and young professionals."
"A liaison position or specific office within the curia ... could
serve as a resource for the apostolic initiatives and movements aimed at
forming responsible lay leaders of Catholic social doctrine," they
state.