Pope Francis: Catholics Should Not Be Slaves to Church's Institutions, Amen, Francis! Affirm Women Priests' Movement and Honor Primacy of Conscience During Holy Year!

Bridget Mary's Response: I agree with Pope Francis that we must not become slaves of religious structures, institutions or laws that violate our consciences. The Holy Year of Mercy is a perfect time to affirm the international Roman Catholic  Women Priests' Movement and honor primacy of conscience. A first step, Francis could take, is to lift all excommunications and punishments against Catholics who follow their consciences including Roman Catholic Women Priests, our communities and supporters. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-if-church-forgets-mercy-even-one-moment-its-work-useless

Joshua J. McElwee  |  Dec. 9, 2015, National Catholic Reporter

"

Any efforts at reform or renewal of the Catholic church that do not place God's mercy at the center of their work are "useless" because they make Catholics "slaves" to the church's institutions, Pope Francis said Wednesday.

Speaking in his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square just one day after launching his global Jubilee year of mercy, the pontiff said that "only a merciful church shines."

"The necessary work of renewal of the church's institutions and structures is a means that must bring us to make alive and enlivened the experience of God's mercy that alone can guarantee a church that is a city upon a hill that cannot remain hidden," said the pope."If we were to forget, even just for a moment, that mercy is 'that which God likes most,' every one of our labors would be useless because we would become slaves of our institutions and our structures, however renewed they might be," he said. "We would always be slaves."

Francis was speaking Wednesday during a reflection on the meaning of the Jubilee year, which he formally started Tuesday with a Mass in St. Peter's Square and by opening the holy door in St. Peter's Basilica."