Church 2011 is a memorandum

Memorandum

A memorandum is from the Latin verbal phrase memorandum est, the gerundive form of the verb memoro, "to mention, call to mind, recount, relate", which means "It must be remembered ..."...

 promulgated by Catholic theology

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

 professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

s, primarily from Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 and Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. The memorandum, whose full German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

 title is Kirche 2011: Ein notwendiger Aufbruch, was started in Germany in January 2011. The memorandum is a general demand for reform of the Roman Catholic Church in response to the sexual abuse scandal among German priests.

The memorandum demands:

1. Structures of participation: more participation of all people in the Catholic Church, particularly through election of bishops and priests;
2. Parish community: more help for Catholic communities, with a more explicit sharing of responsibilities. Married
   Celibacy
   Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
   
    priests and women as priests
   Ordination of women
   Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
   
    should be allowed;
3. Legal culture: the Catholic Church should initiate a church jurisdiction;
4. Freedom of conscience: respect for individual conscience
   Conscience
   Conscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong. Moral judgement may derive from values or norms...
   
   , particularly for divorced people, who want to marry again, and for homosexual civil union
   Civil union
   A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
   
   s;
5. Reconciliation: greater reconciliation of the church to her own history; and
6. Worship: reform of the Roman Catholic liturgy
   Liturgy
   Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
   
    (with greater modern influence, and more influence from the cultural life of countries).

, over 300 Catholic professors, theologians and other religious scientists from across the world had signed the memorandum.

List of signators

German language territory

1. Michael Albus, University of Freiburg
2. Franz Annen, University of Chur
3. Arno Anzenbacher, University of Mainz
4. Edmund Arens, University of Lucerne
5. Antonio Autiero, University of Munster
6. Karl Baier, University of Wien
7. Franz-Josef Bäumer, University of Giessen
8. Georg Baudler, University of Aachen
9. Urs Baumann, University of Tübingen
10. Isidor Baumgartner, University of Passau
11. Ulrike Bechmann, University of Graz
12. Manfred Belok, University of Chur
13. Andreas Benk, University of Schwäbisch Gmünd
14. Johannes Beutler, University of Frankfurt
15. Klaus Bieberstein, University of Bamberg
16. Sabine Bieberstein, University of Eicstat
17. Albert Biesinger, University of Tubingen
18. Franz Xaver Bischof, University of Munich
19. Martina Blasberg-Kuhnke, University of Osnabruck
20. Thomas Böhm, University of Freiburg
21. Michael Böhnke, University of Wuppertal
22. Christoph Böttigheimer, University of Eichstätt
23. Karl Bopp, University of Benediktbeuern
24. Karl-Heinz Braun, University of Freiburg
25. Thomas Bremer, University of Munster
26. Johannes Brosseder, University of Cologne
27. Ingo Broer, University of Siegen
28. Anton A. Bucher, University of Salzburg
29. Giancarlo Collet, University of Munster
30. Gerhard Dautzenberg, University of Gießen
31. Sabine Demel, University of Regensburg
32. Detlev Dormeyer, University of Dortmund
33. Gerhard Droesser, University of Würzburg
34. Margit Eckholt, University of Osnabrück
35. Peter Eicher, University of Paderborn
36. Volker Eid, University of Bamberg
37. Bernhard Emunds, University of Frankfurt
38. Rudolf Englert, University of Duisburg
39. Stephan Ernst, University of Würzburg
40. Wolfgang G. Esser, University of Dortmund
41. Reinhold Esterbauer, University of Graz
42. Heinz-Josef Fabry
    Heinz-Josef Fabry
    Heinz-Josef Fabry is a German Hebraist and deacon of the Catholic Theological Faculty of Bonn University. Following the death of his teacher Gerhard Johannes Botterweck in 1981 he was co-editor of the 15 volume Theological dictionary of the Old Testament with Helmer Ringgren. He is also author of...
    
    , University of Bonn
43. Ernst Feil, University of Munich
44. Reinhard Feiter, University of Munster
45. Michael Felder, University of Freiburg in Uechtland
46. Rupert Feneberg, University of Weingarten
47. Hubert Frankemölle, University of Paderborn
48. Albert Franz, University of Dresden
49. Christian Frevel, University of Cologne
50. Edward Fröhling, University of Vallendar
51. Ottmar Fuchs, University of Tübingen
52. Alfons Fürst, University of Munster
53. Ingeborg Gabriel, University of Wien
54. Karl Gabriel, University of Munster
55. Erich Garhammer, University of Würzburg
56. Albert Gasser, University of Chur
57. Martin Gertler, University of Cologne
58. Reinhard Göllner, University of Bochum
59. Stephan Goertz, University of Mainz
60. Heinz-Jürgen Görtz, University of Hannover
61. Norbert Greinacher, University of Tübingen
62. Franz Gruber
    Franz Gruber
    Franz Xaver Gruber , was an Austrian primary school teacher and church organist in the village of Arnsdorf...
    
    , University of Linz
63. Bernhard Grümme, University of Ludwigsburg
64. Wilhelm Guggenberger, University of Innsbruck
65. Gerd Häfner, University of Munich
66. Hille Haker, University of Frankfurt am Main
67. Hubertus Halbfas, University of Reutlingen
68. Hans Halter, University of Luzern
69. Richard Hartmann, University of Fulda
70. Linus Hauser, University of Gießen
71. Christoph Heil, University of Graz
72. Marianne Heimbach-Steins, University of Bamberg
73. Theresia Heimerl, University of Graz
74. Hanspeter Heinz, University of Augsburg
75. Ulrich Hemel, University of Regensburg
76. Friedhelm Hengsbach
    Friedhelm Hengsbach
    Friedhelm Hengsbach is a professor emeritus for Christian social ethics. He was also director of the Oswald von Nell-Breuning Institute for Economic and Social Ethical Studies of the Jesuit Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt....
    
    , University of Sankt Georgen
77. Bernd Jochen Hilberath, University of Tübingen
78. Georg Hilger, University of Regensburg
79. Konrad Hilpert, University of Munich
80. Hans Gerald Hödl, University of Wien
81. Rudolf Höfer, University of Graz
82. Hans-Joachim Höhn, University of Cologne
83. Johannes Hoffmann, University of Frankfurt
84. Paul Hoffmann, University of Bamberg
85. Adrian Holderegger, University of Freiburg im Uechtland
86. Andreas Holzem, University of Tübingen
87. Reinhard Hübner, University of Munich
88. Peter Hünermann, University of Tübingen
89. Hubert Irsigler, University of Freiburg
90. Martin Jäggle, University of Wien
91. Bernhard Jendorff, University of Kassel
92. Hans Jorissen, University of Bonn
93. Christina Kalloch, University of Hannover
94. Rainer Kampling, University of Berlin
95. Leo Karrer, University of Freiburg im Uechtland
96. Othmar Keel, University of Freiburg im Uechtland
97. Walter Kern, University of Ludwigsburg
98. Hans Kessler, University of Frankfurt am Main
99. Klaus Kienzler, University of Augsburg
100. Klaus Kießling, University of Frankfurt am Main
101. Walter Kirchschläger, University of Luzern
102. Stephanie B. Klein, University of Salzburg
103. Stefan Knobloch, University of Mainz
104. Joachim Köhler, University of Tübingen
105. Judith Könemann, University of Münster
106. Helga Kohler-Spiegel, University of Voralberg
107. Anton Kolb, University of Graz
108. Roland Kollmann, University of Dortmund
109. Wilhelm Korff, University of Tübingen
110. Elmar Kos, University of Vechta
111. Georg Kraus, University of Bamberg
112. Gerhard Kruip, University of Mainz
113. Max Küchler, University of Freiburg im Uechtland
114. Joachim Kügler, University of Bamberg
115. Roman Kühschelm, University of Wien
116. Hans Küng
     Hans Küng
     Hans Küng is a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and prolific author. Since 1995 he has been President of the Foundation for a Global Ethic . Küng is "a Catholic priest in good standing", but the Vatican has rescinded his authority to teach Catholic theology...
     
     , University of Tübingen
117. Karl-Christoph Kuhn, University of Tübingen
118. Ulrich Kuhnke, University of Osnabruck
119. Lothar Kuld, University of Weingarten
120. Karl-Josef Kuschel, University of Tübingen
121. Raimund Lachner, University of Vechta
122. Karl Heinz Ladenhauf, University of Graz
123. Anton Landersdorfer, University of Passau
124. Bernhard Lang, University of Paderborn
125. Georg Langenhorst, University of Augsburg
126. Wolfgang Langer, University of Wien
127. Rudolf Langthaler, University of Wien
128. Gerhard Larcher, University of Graz
129. Karl Josef Lesch, University of Vechta
130. Ernst Leuninger, University of Vallendar
131. Maximilian Liebmann, University of Graz
132. Winfried Löffler, University of Innsbruck
133. Adrian Loretan, University of Luzern
134. Klaus Lüdicke, University of Munster
135. Heiner Ludwig, University of Darmstadt
136. Hubertus Lutterbach, University of Essen
137. Joachim Maier
     Joachim Maier
     Joachim Maier is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and heads the department of Physical Chemistry....
     
     , University of Heidelberg
138. Johannes Meier, University of Mainz
139. Hans Mendl, University of Passau
140. Friedhelm Mennekes, University of Sankt Georgen
141. Karl-Wilhelm Merks, University of Tilburg, Netherlands
142. Norbert Mette, University of Dortmund
143. Guido Meyer University of Aachen
144. Andreas Michel, University of Cologne
145. Anja Middelbeck-Varwick, University of Berlin
146. Dietmar Mieth, University of Tübingen
147. Heinrich Missalla, University of Essen
148. Matthias Möhring-Hesse, University of Vechta
149. Hilary Mooney, University of Weingarten
150. Klaus Müller, University of Munster
151. Ilse Müllner, University of Kassel
152. Doris Nauer, University of Vallendar
153. Peter Neuner, University of Munich
154. Monika Nickel, University of Passau
155. Heribert Niederschlag, University of Vallendar
156. Christoph Niemand, University of Linz
157. Franz-Josef Nocke, University of Essen
158. Andreas Odenthal, University of Tübingen
159. Karl-Heinz Ohlig
     Karl-Heinz Ohlig
     Karl-Heinz Ohlig is a German professor of Religious Studies and the History of Christianity at the University of Saarland, Germany.He is the co-editor with Gerd Rudiger Puin of the book Die dunklen Anfänge...
     
     , University of Saarbrücken
160. Hans-Ludwig Ollig, University of Frankfurt am Main
161. Wolfgang Palaver, University of Innsbruck
162. Silvia Pellegrini, University of Vechta
163. Sabine Pemsel-Maier, University of Karlsruhe
164. Otto Hermann Pesch, University of Hamburg
165. Johann Pock, University of Wien
166. Uta Poplutz, University of Wuppertal
167. Burkard Porzelt, University of Regensburg
168. Thomas Pröpper, University of Munster
169. Gunter Prüller-Jagenteufel, University of Wien
170. Walter Raberger, University of Linz
171. Michael Raske, University of Frankfurt
172. Johann Reikerstorfer, University of Wien
173. Elisabeth Reil, University of Konstanz
174. Helmut Renöckl, University of Linz
175. Eleonore Reuter, University of Mainz
176. Klemens Richter, University of Munster
177. Bert Roebben, University of Dortmund
178. Eberhard Rolinck, University of Munster
179. Hans Rotter, University of Innsbruck
180. Karlheinz Ruhstorfer, University of Koblenz
181. Gerhard A. Rummel, University of Freiburg
182. Ralph Sauer, University of Vechta
183. Sabine Schäper, University of Munster
184. Mirjam Schambeck, University of Bamberg
185. Matthias Scharer, University of Innsbruck
186. Monika Scheidler, University of Dresden
187. Hans Schelkshorn, University of Wien
188. Karl Schlemmer, University of Passau
189. Udo Schmälzle, University of Munster
190. Bruno Schmid, University of Weingarten
191. Heinrich Schmidinger, University of Salzburg
192. Thomas M. Schmidt, University of Frankfurt
193. Joachim Schmiedl, University of Vallendar
194. Eberhard Schockenhoff, University of Freiburg
195. Norbert Scholl, University of Heidelberg
196. Michael Schramm, University of Hohenheim
197. Stefan Schreiber, University of Augsburg
198. Thomas Schreijäck, University of Frankfurt
199. Thomas Schüller, University of Munster
200. Helen Schüngel-Straumann, University of Cologne
201. Ehrenfried Schulz, University of Munich
202. Hans Reinhard Seeliger, University of Tübingen
203. Josef Senft, University of Cologne
204. Roman A. Siebenrock, University of Innsbruck
205. Hermann Pius Siller, University of Frankfurt am Main
206. Werner Simon, University of Mainz
207. Egon Spiegel, University of Vechta
208. Hermann Steinkamp, University of Munster
209. Georg Steins, University of Osnabruck
210. Hermann Stenger, University of Innsbruck
211. Hermann-Josef Stipp, University of Munich
212. Klaus von Stosch, University of Paderborn
213. Magnus Striet, University of Freiburg
214. Angelika Strotmann, University of Paderborn
215. Joachim Theis, University of Trier
216. Michael Theobald, University of Tübingen
217. Franz Trautmann, University of Schwäbisch-Gmünd
218. Maria Trautmann, University of Eichstätt
219. Wolfgang Treitler, University of Wien
220. Bernd Trocholepczy, University of Frankfurt am Main
221. Peter Trummer, University of Graz
222. Hermann-Josef Venetz, University of Freiburg im Uechtland
223. Markus Vogt, University of Munich
224. Marie-Theres Wacker, University of Munster
225. Heribert Wahl, University of Trier
226. Peter Walter, University of Mainz
227. Franz Weber, University of Innsbruck
228. Wolfgang Weirer, University of Graz
229. Saskia Wendel, University of Cologne
230. Knut Wenzel, University of Frankfurt am Main
231. Ludwig Wenzler, University of Freiburg
232. Jürgen Werbick, University of Munster
233. Christian Wessely, University of Graz
234. Dietrich Wiederkehr, University of Luzern
235. Annette Wilke, University of Munster
236. Ulrich Willers, University of Eichstätt
237. Werner Wolbert, University of Salzburg
238. Martha Zechmeister, University of Passau
239. Hans-Georg Ziebertz, University of Würzburg
240. Reinhold Zwick, University of Munster

professors, theologians and other religious scientists from non-German speaking countries:

1. Xavier Alegre (El Salvador)
2. Olaizola Arregi (Spain)
3. Jesús Asurmendi (France)
4. Gregory Baum
   Gregory Baum
   Gregory Baum, OC is a Canadian theologian.Born in Berlin, Germany, he came to Canada from England in 1940. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and physics in 1946 from McMaster University, a Master of Arts degree in mathematics in 1947 from Ohio State University, and a Th.D...
   
    (Canada)
5. José Manuel Bernal Cantos (Spain)
6. José Bernardi (Brazil)
7. Ignace Berten(Belgium)
8. Montserrat Biosca Duch (Spain)
9. Alberto Bondolfi (Switzerland)
10. Eberhard Bons (France)
11. Sánchez Castillo (Spain)
12. José Centeno (Spain)
13. Aldir Crocoli (Brasil)
14. Ton Danenberg(Philippines)
15. Juan Antonio Estrada (Spain)
16. Marcio Fabri (Brazil)
17. Rufo Fernández Pérez (Spain)
18. Dolores Figueras Fondevila (Spain)
19. Bejamin Forcano Cebollada (Spain)
20. Judette Gallares (Spain)
21. Máximo Garcia Ruiz (Spain)
22. Marcelo Juan González (Argentina)
23. Jan Jans (Belgium)
24. Werner G. Jeanrond (United Kingdom)
25. Miro Jelecevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
26. Elisa Jiménez Xifre (Spain)
27. Janez Juhant (Slovenia)
28. Walter Lesch (France)
29. Julio Lois Fernández (Spain)
30. Aloysius Lopez Cartagenas (Philippines)
31. Ivo Markovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
32. Juan Masia Clavel (Spain))
33. José Mario Méndez Méndez (Costa Rica)
34. Anthony T. Padovano (United States)
35. José Antonio Pagola Elorza (Spain)
36. Luis Augusto Panchi (Ecuador)
37. Federico Pastor Ramos (Spain)
38. Jesús Peláez del Rosal (Spain)
39. Richard Penaskovic (United States)
40. Margarita Pintos de Cea-Naharro (Spain)
41. Félix Placer Ugarte (Spain)
42. John Mansford Prior (Indonesia)
43. Julio Puente López (Spain)
44. Mertxe Renovales (Spain)
45. Susan Roll (Canada)
46. Giuseppe Ruggieri (Italy)
47. José Sánchez
    Jose Sanchez
    Jose Sanchez may refer to:*Jose M. Sanchez an Internet developer responsible for iosMD, an EHR software package by Integrated Outsourcing Solutions*José Tomás Sánchez, Cardinal Prefect Emeritus of the Philippines*José León Sánchez, Costa Rican novelist...
    
     (Mexico)
48. Torrado Sánchez (Spain)
49. Joseph Selling (Belgium)
50. Thomas Shannon
    Thomas Shannon
    Thomas Shannon may refer to:*Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. , U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, 2010-Present*Thomas Bowles Shannon , member of the California State Assembly and U.S. Representative from California, 1863–1865...
    
     (United States)
51. Jon Sobrino
    Jon Sobrino
    Jon Sobrino, S.J. is a Jesuit Catholic priest and theologian, known mostly for his contributions to liberation theology....
    
     (El Salvador)
52. Jacqui Stewart (United Kingdom)
53. Silvana Suaiden (Brasil)
54. Luiz Carlos Susin (Brasil)
55. Paulo Suess (Brasil)
56. Juan José Tamayo Acosta (Spain)
57. Marie-Jo Thiel (France)
58. Christoph Theobald (France)
59. Andrés Torres Queiruga (Spain)
60. Caroline Vander Stichele (Netherlands)
61. Rufino Velasco Martinez (Spain)
62. Marciano Vidal Garcia (Spain)
63. Evaristo Villar Villar (Spain)
64. Javier Vitoria (Spain)
65. Lode Lucas Wostyn (Philippines)
66. Juan Yzuel (Spain)
67. Marta Zubia (Guinea)

External links

• Kirche 2011:Ein notwendiger Aufbruch (in German)
• Church 2011: The Need for a New Beginning (Text of memorandum in English)
• Süddeutsche:Reform von innen (German)
• Frankfurter Rundschau:Die Kirche steht sich selbst im Weg (German)
• NZZ:Im Wellengang der Zeiten