Dear highly esteemed Pope Francis,

Your pastoral initiatives and their theological justification are currently under vehement attack by a group in the church. With this open letter, we wish to express our gratitude for your courageous and theologically sound papal leadership.

In a short time, you have succeeded in reshaping the pastoral culture of the Roman Catholic Church in accordance with its origin in Jesus. Wounded people and wounded nature go straight to your heart. You see the church as a field hospital on the margins of life. Your concern is every single person loved by God. When encountering others, compassion and not the law shall have the last word. God and God’s mercy characterize the pastoral culture that you expect from the church. You dream of a "church as mother and shepherdess." We share your dream.

We ask that you would not veer from the path you have taken, and we assure you of our full support and constant prayer.

The signatories

Supporters

Dear Mr. Paul Zulehner: thank you very much for your information about the success of your initiative Pro Pope Francis in which I had the great pleasure of participating. Although this would be a totally different kind of initiative, whereas well in line with Pope Francis’ spirit – he constantly asks everybody to pray for him -, would there be some way to ask everybody, at least theadherents to your initiative, in these so difficult times for our dear Pope, simply to pray for him and for his opponents? Thank you for your consideration of this so simple suggestion. With kindest regards, Francisco Monteiro (Portugal)

Thanks to all supporters!

Signatories

Tomáš Halík Theologe und Philosoph (Prag)

I act in a highly secular part of the world, where the traditional form of the Church often resembles a "valley of dry bones" (cf. Ezekiel). Still, here the prophetic voice of Pope Francis poured the reviving Spirit and hope into many minds and hearts.

Paul M. Zulehner Pastoraltheologe (Wien)

Papst Franziskus ist kein Ideologe, sondern ein Hirte. Das zeigt insbesondere Amoris laetitia. Was er pastoral ermöglicht, ist tief im Gottesbild Jesu verankert. Nicht alle folgen dem Papst dabei. Aber es gibt keine Alternative für eine Kirche , die bekennt: „Jesus ist der Herr“.

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list of all signatories