Catholic Religious Australia - Declaration of Women Religious Leaders

Declaration of Women Religious Leaders (UISG)
participating at the UISG Plenary held in Rome May 6-10,

and ratified by the Assembly of Delegates on May 12 2007

We, 850 women leaders representing nearly 800,000 members of Catholic Religious Institutes throughout the world, have reflected together on the theme:

Challenged to weave a new spirituality of communion which generates hope and life for all

Our passion for Jesus Christ and for humanity and creation impels us to become weavers of hope and of life: "I have come that they may have life and ljfe in abundance." Jn 10,10

Throughout this Assembly, we have heard the invitation to live in covenant with God, as co-creators, generating life and hope, through relationships of respect, dialogue, inclusion, trust, co-responsibility and interdependence. Our growing awareness of our connectedness with the whole of life in all its forms challenges us to deepen a new vision and understanding of the consecrated life today.

Contemplating the Word of God, we are called to read the signs of our times with the eyes of God and with our women' s hearts.

"I have seen the misery of my people ... I have heard their cry ... I know their pain. I have come to deliver them ... (Exodus 3,7)

This Word calls us to seek a prophetic response to the challenges we have seen and the cries we have heard:

The longing of woman to rediscover her dignity and her true place in society and in the Church
The groaning of our wounded earth for recognition of its sacredness as the home of all
The thirst for a deeper communion between believers of all religions
The distress of millions of immigrants and displaced persons, of children and women victims of human trafficking seeking a more human life
The call of the Spirit to create in our congregations links of reciprocity with lay people so that the charism of each congregation may be lived beyond existing structures.

"And now I send you ... go and liberate my people ... and I will be with you" (Exodus 3, 10-12)

In gratitude for the mission entrusted to us, we will:

Engage in on-going dialogue between the Word of God and life, the heart of our commitment as consecrated women called to follow Christ.
Network and use the power of our collective voice to denounce unjust laws and structureswhich exclude people on such bases as gender, religion, culture.
Promote all forms of dialogue, and in particular inter-religious dialogue, recognizing our common responsibility for humanity.
Grow in an ecological awareness and express this in concrete and consistent choices.
Encourage a vision of Church as communion where a real partnership with laity is lived.
Form consecrated women ready to respond to these challenges with faith and daring.

With Mary, let us become Weavers of the Kingdom of God,
May the con veicion 0/our hearts and minds uproot us.
May we widen our tent.
May hope and life for humanity and all creation surge
from our tireless weaving of a spirituality ofcomnmnunion