Iglesia Descalza offers us this reflection

By Bishop Emeritus Pedro Casaldáliga (English translation by Rebel Girl)

Que sea Navidad, la verdadera.
Las barbas crecidas y blancas,
y los supermercados del consumismo,
deben quedar al margen.

Y nosotros debemos plantarnos en medio del egoísmo
y negarnos a la profecía absurda,
para abrir espacio al llanto y al canto de la solidaridad
y al grito de los pequeños y excluidos.

Que sea verdad todo lo que decimos en la liturgia y el folclore.
Que sea una Navidad de las raíces de Belén,
el Misterio de la Encarnación llamándonos a hacer Reino cada día.

Que sea Navidad, que no nos perdamos la Navidad.

Let it be Christmas, the real one. 
The long white beards
and the supermarkets of consumerism
should be left aside.

And we must stand in the midst of selfishness
and refuse the absurd prophecy
to make room for the sobs and songs of solidarity
and the cry of the least and the excluded.

Let everything we say in liturgy and folklore be true.

Let it be a Christmas from the roots of Bethlehem,
the Mystery of the Incarnation calling us to build the Kingdom every day.

Let it be Christmas, let us not lose Christmas.

Information Sheet 2   November 2016 [French]   [Spanish] Dear All, As announced in letter info n°1 the first meeting of the international team in charge of the implementation of the follow-up plan decided during the Council 50 gathering in Rome, took place in Rome on 6-7 November 2016.

 I ) Key decisions made by the international organizing team:

1)  Due to his age, François Becker resigned from his duty of coordinator Following his recommendation, Jean Pierre Schmitz was appointed coordinator of the Global Council Network. He will coordinate the preparation of the series of Global Forums of the People of God. Jean-Pierre Schmitz (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

2) Name of the series of gatherings to be organized, as recommended during the Council 50 gathering of delegates held in November 2015 in Rome ( see letter info n°1). In order to avoid any useless and unproductive conflicts or to avoid any misunderstandings on their nature and aim, the global gatherings will no longer be named synods of the People of God, but “Forums of the People of God”.  Hence,

3) The first three Global Forums of the People of God

For these forums to express the “sensus fidei/fidelium” of the People of God, it is important to take into account the diversity of cultures, concerns, situations and specificities of the different parts of the world and of our Church. Hence:

• the first Global Forum of the People of God is the Council 50 gathering of delegates held on 20-22 November 2015 in Rome.
• the Second Global Forum of the People of God, is planned to be held in Aparecida (Brazil) from 15 to 18 of November 2018. Please see a first provisional presentation prepared by Edson G.P. Vila, Daniel Seidel and Lula Ramires from Brazil that was presented and discussed in Rome.  contact : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• The third Global Forum of the People of God will take place in Africa in 2021 in a place and a date to be decided later on.  An initial team including Africans from different countries is being set-up. For more information and if you are interested to participate, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

4) In between the Global Forums, local and national Forums will be held

The following forums are already planned:         

• in 2017 in New Zealand  Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• in 2018 on October 26-28, Chicago, USA: Prepared by the American Catholic Council.  Contact : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

You are invited to plan and organize other local or national forums in your country or region. For information, contact Jean-Pierre Schmitz 

3) Contact with the institution

In order to inform the Vatican and maintain contacts and dialogue, letters will be mailed

• Cardinal Kevin Farrell, newly appointed as head of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and life
• Cardinal Parolin via his secretary Mgr Murphy
• Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah TURKSON, president of the Commission Justice and Peace
• to the bishops in Brazil and Mgr Duarte da Silva, former Secretary of Bishops Conference of European Union,
• Mgr Gaillot in France;
• to other Cardinals and Bishops working in the Vatican
• Other letters can be mailed. Please make suggestions of names with address to Jean-Pierre Schmitz

4) Extension of the international organizing team

In order to have a full international and intercultural approach in the preparation of the Global Forums, it is necessary to enlarge the present team.  Therefore, We would like to heard from all who are interested and willing to participate in the work of the international organizing team. Contact Jean-Pierre Schmitz

II) Continuing actions

You are invited 

• to ask the Holy Spirit to inspire reform in ourselves, among the whole People of God  and in the Church in order to prepare and run the series of Forums of the People of God  for the good of our Church and of the World,
• to continue to contact people and tell them about the series of Forums.  Don't forget to talk about the Council 50 declaration and ask them to endorse it,:
• to become active in local groups, associations, movements, communities, parishes and to organize local, regional Forums of the People of God in your own territories in order to contribute to the preparation of the forthcoming “Global Forums of the people of God”, in continuity with the “Council 50 declaration”.  

III)  The “Second Global Forum of the People of God, Aparecida (Brazil) 2018”, and its preparation

1) The next meeting of the international organizing team focussing on the preparation of the second Forum will take place both in Aparecida and in Paris with a Skype link. The date of this meeting is either end May or beginning of June 2017. Those of you who are interested to attend this meeting are invited to contact Jean-Pierre Schmitz

2) It is important to identify a general theme and a detailed agenda for this Forum. It will be discussed and approved during the next meeting of the international organizing team planned in May-June 2017.

You are therefore invited to forward proposals.  It will be more efficient to prepare these proposals or suggestions within groups, movements, communities or parishes. You are therefore invited to organize the appropriate meetings. In order to help you, you will receive on request the suggestions made during the brainstorming that took place in the International organizing team meeting held on 6-7 November in Rome

If you wish to give more weight to your proposals, you are invited, as said above,  to organize local or regional Forums of the People of God to prepare this 2nd Global Forum of the People of God.. It is very important in this venture to benefit from the support and contributions from all reform groups and movements throughout the world in order to build a Forum that will express the views of the People of God, i.e. an expression of the “sensus fidei/fidelium”. You are therefore invited to contact all those whom you think to be interested by such a venture.   

   3) In any case,

• if you are interested in being part of the international organizing committee,
• if you want to make suggestions for the Forums of the People of God, regarding their aims, key points to address, ideas to convey, proposals of reforms to be undertaken, particular activities to organise,

please send us an email.

With our best regards         
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  former coordinator

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  present coordinator of Global Council Network