Bill Manseau, Director of the CORPUS Pension Advocacy Campaign, and long time married priest advocate, has put forth this proposal to the CORPUS Board. The CORPUS Board will discuss this proposal at their annual board meeting prior to its 30th Anniversary Conference, June 25-27, Landsdowne VA. Bill and the CORPUS Board welcome your input and suggestions. One of the several workshops at the Conference will be Carl Hemmer's and the Board Members' Where is CORPUS Going? Your comments will be helpful as we discuss the future vision and mission of CORPUS. Below is Bill's proposal to the CORPUS Board.

William J. Manseau
12 Catherwood Road
Tewksbury, MA 01876
Office: 603-886-3760
corpuspensions@juno.com

November 23, 2003
Russell Ditzel, Raymond Grosswirth, William Wisniewski CORPUS Collegial Board

Dear Friends:

After reflection I would like to propose that CORPUS exercise leadership in the current ecclesial climate by opening its membership to groups who share its goals as the North Atlantic Federation for the Renewal of the Catholic Priesthood has recently done. This could be accomplished by the adoption of a new Bylaw. The CORPUS Bylaws provide for the adoption of Bylaws in Article XVIII, Section 1.

I would like further to propose that CORPUS invite cognate ministerial groups such as the Women's Ordination Conference, FCM's Roman Catholic Faith Community Council, CITI, and the International Society of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Thomas to join with it to establish a National Catholic Ministerial Alliance. This Alliance could serve as a coordinating center within the movement for Catholic ministerial reform. Members of the Alliance could collaborate on initiatives together and share resources as opportunities permitted as together we seek to serve the spiritual needs of the People of God with the tools which we have as individual organizations and those which we can create together. This could be accomplished by the establishment of a new committee, Cf. Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1 or by establishing a new corporate relationship.

FCM has long led the way in focusing on the development of new forms of ministry in the Roman Catholic, Ecumenical, and, more recently, Interfaith Diaspora community. No organization has a richer history and a more developed resource bank of Diaspora Catholic ordained and lay men and women Diaspora ministers than the Federation of Christian Ministries. It is today again pioneering in the development of ministerial training skills and programs for the Diaspora servant community.

CORPUS is the premier spokesperson for a reformed, renewed and enriched presbyteral ministry in the USA. It alone is the majority voice for the ordained priests who have resigned their ministries because of their conviction of a call to the sacrament of marriage as priests. They clearly saw and see the need for a structural reform of the Church which will enable it to be a discipleship community of equal men and women committed to the following of the Gospel of the Lord in the power of the Spirit.

The Women's Ordination Conference is the premier voice for the ordination of women in a Church of equals. We need to encourage its membership and support WOC in every way available. Its issue is the future of the Church.

CITI has demonstrated an unequaled capacity to elicit media attention in a sustained fashion. It has a clear charism which has added much to the movement for Catholic presbyteral reform and the nourishment of hope for God's people.

The International Society of the Apostles, Sts. Peter and Thomas has long developed ecumenical relationships with other churches, the Old Catholic movement and Eastern Orthodox communities which can provide linkages for those interested in working with those churches. It can provide ecumenical ministerial faculties. It can provide access to ordination for women as Old Catholic priests or Eastern Orthodox deacons as well as providing an international network for collaboration with married priests in Europe, India and other parts of the world.

These groups, and others, could be invited to sit at the table with CORPUS colleagues so that gifts can be shared.

There are other members of CORPUS who yearn to be in closer relationship with the hierarchy. I propose that CORPUS establish a team charged with the mission to engage the hierarchy in a sustained, back-channel conversation about the role of priests who are not canonically active because of their call to other ministries or walks in life, and, often, sacramental marriage in this transitional age. They continue to have a sense of presbyteral vocation and something of value to offer while the above initiatives are implemented vigorously.

A primary characteristic of the presbyteral charism is leadership. It is time for CORPUS priests to exercise leadership again in the Catholic community by taking responsibility in moving ahead in meeting today's faith community challenges. Yesterday Sr. Joan Chittister told me that the people are waiting for us to do that. Will we do it? Or will we continue to be 'inactive priests' existing on the margins content to theologize and hope.

I look forward to your response.

Fraternally,
William J. Manseau

Bill Manseau and the CORPUS Board welcome your comments and feedback.
Bill can be reached at corpuspensions@juno.com

Russ Ditzel, CORPUS President can be reached at: crditzel@corpus.org