Pope Francis

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I dream of a ‘missionary option’, that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channelled for the evangelisation of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation
— Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium 2013

“The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community
— Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium 2013

“An evangelising community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary.... Evangelisers thus take on the ‘smell of the sheep’, and the sheep are willing to hear their voice.
— Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium 2013

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church which is concerned with being at the centre and then ends up being caught up in a web of sessions and procedures.
— Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium 2013

“More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us ‘Give them something to eat’. (Mk 6:37)
— Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium 2013

“And so, the biggest threat of all gradually takes shape: the gray pragmatism of the daily life of the Church, in which all appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small mindedness. A tomb psychology thus develops and slowly transforms Christians into mummies in a museum.
— Pope Francis - Evangelii Gaudium 2013

"The Church has to commit to change – not only personal change as each of us learns to see and hear differently, but institutional change as well.  This will mean an ongoing transformation of our procedures and protocols in the area of safeguarding.  Much has been done already, but there’s no room whatever for complacency.

We’ll also need cultural change – saying no to a Church that seeks its own protection and self-preservation at all costs, that turns in on itself rather than reach out to the wounded and distressed.  This will also mean changes to incorporate greater transparency and accountability in the governance of the Church."

15 December 2017 (Brisbane Archdiocese Response to The Royal Commission)

 "Co-responsibility demands a change in mindset especially concerning the role of lay people in the Church. They should not be regarded as “collaborators” of the clergy, but, rather, as people who are really “co-responsible” for the Church’s being and acting. It is therefore important that a mature and committed laity be consolidated, which can make its own specific contribution to the ecclesial mission with respect for the ministries and tasks that each one has in the life of the Church and always in cordial communion with the bishops."

 10 August 2012. 

“The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another. And it is the latter that must be taken into great consideration with patience if necessary, everything being measured in the forms and proportions of a Magisterium which is predominantly pastoral in character.”

Opening of Second Vatican Council   October 11, 1962