A Brief History of the Catholic Bishops Forum
In 2019, Bishop Francis Krebs and several other Independent Catholic Bishops from the United States attended a course on Old Catholic Catholicism offered at the University of Utrecht by the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands. It was during this course that Bishop Frank became aware of the impression that others had of the bishops in the American Independent Catholic Movement; viz., that the bishops were in no way unified, nor did we have any desire to become unified. As someone who believes that bishops should function as agents of unity, Bishop Frank began to think about a way to create unity among a very diverse group, a unity that would allow and respect our diversity. That very complicated call planted the seeds for the creation of the Catholic Bishops Forum.
Bishop Francis knew that other bishops would need to be involved in the creation of the Forum, so he invited bishops he knew to join him in this endeavor. Bishops Steven Rosczewski and Robert Fuentes answered the call and became
charter members of the Steering Committee of the Forum. In time, the charter members shared their vision and goals with other bishops and invited them to join the Committee. The Steering Committee then reached out to other bishops and invited them to become participating members of the Forum.
One of the first tasks the Steering Committee undertook in creating the Forum was to choose a name that individual member jurisdictions could embrace. The name Catholic Bishops Forum was chosen because it identifies three elements
the Committee believed would be necessary for the success of the Forum.
Catholic was chosen because it identifies the characteristics the Steering Committee believed the participating jurisdiction would need to hold in common in order to ensure the success of the Forum; viz., the traditional sacramental structure of the Catholic tradition, the presence of common sacramental and liturgical practices, the centrality and importance of Sacred Scripture in the life of the Church, commitment to synodal decision making, acknowledgement of the creeds of the early Church, and apostolic ministry, each in its own way.
Bishops was chosen because there is a perception that bishops are the ones who have created the lack of unity in the Independent Sacramental Movement and are therefore the ones who need to build communion with one another. For this reason, Forum membership is exclusively for bishops. In general, the impression is that the laity, deacons, and priests have already embraced the idea of closer collaboration between the jurisdictions and now it’s time for the bishops to do so also.
Forum was chosen because it communicates the environment the Steering Committee envisioned; a gathering place for communication where the participating bishops could learn from each other and explore ways to work together through the sharing of information, ideas, and suggestions. Overall, the name represents our continued vision for the future of the Catholic Bishops Forum – unity amid our diversity.
Membership in the Forum is most often by invitation, although sometimes bishops express an interest in joining. Whether by direct invitation or after interest has been expressed, it is important to ensure that there is a good fit between the bishop, the jurisdiction the bishop represents, and the Forum. Important considerations for inclusion in the Forum include, but are not limited to, the bishop’s history within the Independent Sacramental Movement and the history of the bishop’s jurisdiction. While this method has been criticized by some outside the Forum, it is currently believed that as the group is in its beginning stages, it is important that there be a good fit between the bishops and the jurisdictions they represent, and that both be in alignment with the stated goals of the Forum. The Forum recognizes that given the history of similar
past efforts, discernment of membership is an important and necessary element to ensure the success of the Forum’s efforts.
The Forum has been successful in its efforts to create a cohesive group of people who all aspire to be open and accepting of each other and of the diversity we bring. This is in large part due not only to our approach to membership, but also to lessons learned from the failed attempts of past assemblies of bishops. Other elements contributing to the success of the Forum are our annual in-person gathering with a remote participation option, regular quarterly virtual general meetings, a private Facebook group, and a private email list.
The Forum is developing slowly, with a growing understanding of our identity and the charism that the Spirit has given us. As we become more comfortable in these areas, we anticipate that these areas will change. However, one area that will not change is a leadership style of non-dominance. The Forum will continue to employ decision making by agreement both within the Steering Committee and the general membership.
Bishop Francis knew that other bishops would need to be involved in the creation of the Forum, so he invited bishops he knew to join him in this endeavor. Bishops Steven Rosczewski and Robert Fuentes answered the call and became
charter members of the Steering Committee of the Forum. In time, the charter members shared their vision and goals with other bishops and invited them to join the Committee. The Steering Committee then reached out to other bishops and invited them to become participating members of the Forum.
One of the first tasks the Steering Committee undertook in creating the Forum was to choose a name that individual member jurisdictions could embrace. The name Catholic Bishops Forum was chosen because it identifies three elements
the Committee believed would be necessary for the success of the Forum.
Catholic was chosen because it identifies the characteristics the Steering Committee believed the participating jurisdiction would need to hold in common in order to ensure the success of the Forum; viz., the traditional sacramental structure of the Catholic tradition, the presence of common sacramental and liturgical practices, the centrality and importance of Sacred Scripture in the life of the Church, commitment to synodal decision making, acknowledgement of the creeds of the early Church, and apostolic ministry, each in its own way.
Bishops was chosen because there is a perception that bishops are the ones who have created the lack of unity in the Independent Sacramental Movement and are therefore the ones who need to build communion with one another. For this reason, Forum membership is exclusively for bishops. In general, the impression is that the laity, deacons, and priests have already embraced the idea of closer collaboration between the jurisdictions and now it’s time for the bishops to do so also.
Forum was chosen because it communicates the environment the Steering Committee envisioned; a gathering place for communication where the participating bishops could learn from each other and explore ways to work together through the sharing of information, ideas, and suggestions. Overall, the name represents our continued vision for the future of the Catholic Bishops Forum – unity amid our diversity.
Membership in the Forum is most often by invitation, although sometimes bishops express an interest in joining. Whether by direct invitation or after interest has been expressed, it is important to ensure that there is a good fit between the bishop, the jurisdiction the bishop represents, and the Forum. Important considerations for inclusion in the Forum include, but are not limited to, the bishop’s history within the Independent Sacramental Movement and the history of the bishop’s jurisdiction. While this method has been criticized by some outside the Forum, it is currently believed that as the group is in its beginning stages, it is important that there be a good fit between the bishops and the jurisdictions they represent, and that both be in alignment with the stated goals of the Forum. The Forum recognizes that given the history of similar
past efforts, discernment of membership is an important and necessary element to ensure the success of the Forum’s efforts.
The Forum has been successful in its efforts to create a cohesive group of people who all aspire to be open and accepting of each other and of the diversity we bring. This is in large part due not only to our approach to membership, but also to lessons learned from the failed attempts of past assemblies of bishops. Other elements contributing to the success of the Forum are our annual in-person gathering with a remote participation option, regular quarterly virtual general meetings, a private Facebook group, and a private email list.
The Forum is developing slowly, with a growing understanding of our identity and the charism that the Spirit has given us. As we become more comfortable in these areas, we anticipate that these areas will change. However, one area that will not change is a leadership style of non-dominance. The Forum will continue to employ decision making by agreement both within the Steering Committee and the general membership.