VOTF Actions

In the Vineyard: Jan. 27, 2012

dbdoucette — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:02:54 -0800

Voice of the Faithful National Statement -- Catholic Church Reform Movement Voice of the Faithful Cautions Hierarchy

votfpr — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:29:03 -0800

World's Catholic Church leaders meet at Rome Symposium on Clergy Sexual Abuse Feb. 6

NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 24, 2012 -- The Roman Catholic Church has yet to develop an effective worldwide response to clergy child sexual abuse, even though widespread abuse was evident by the mid-1990s, exploded into crisis in the United States in 2002 and in the past few years has proven to be epidemic around the world. Church leaders worldwide will attend a symposium in Rome Feb. 6 to discuss such a response.

Voice of the Faithful cautions Church leaders that the time has come, and indeed is long past, not only for creating appropriate responses to abuse allegations in every diocese worldwide, but also for ending the secrecy and coverups that so exacerbate the crimes. Transparency and accountability are essential.

“Towards Healing and Renewal: A Symposium for Catholic Bishops and Religious Superiors on Sexual Abuse of Minors” is expected to draw delegates from 110 bishops’ conferences and superiors of 30 religious orders internationally.

Their goal in part will be to share “practical wisdom” of “experts in the fields of psychology, canon law, theology, and pastoral ministry” in order to promote a consistent, global response by the Church to reports of sexual abuse and to structure child protection policies. In this, the symposium points toward the May 2012 deadline for dioceses worldwide to develop guidelines for handling child abuse allegations.

The Vatican is right to bring worldwide attention and focus on this growing and continuing scandal that ruins lives and wounds the Church so deeply. The Vatican is right to seek a worldwide response to the enormous task of handling sexual abuse allegations amidst Church communities with such cultural, theological, sociological and governmental diversity. But the Vatican’s failure before now to look for global solutions and hold bishops accountable and the bishops’ actions in keeping abuse allegations secret leave VOTF without confidence that adequate guidelines will be forthcoming.

VOTF and other organizations and individuals that put children above institutional image will be watching closely for what comes from the symposium and May deadline.

Voice of the Faithful

Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and increase the laity’s role in governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at http://www.votf.org.

Contact:

Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: Jan. 13, 2012

dbdoucette — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:41:05 -0800

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National Statement -- After 10 Years of Clergy Sexual Abuse Headlines Voice of the Faithful Sees No Certainty Children Are Safe

votfpr — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:28:07 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 5, 2012 – More than 130 people had come forward to tell their stories of childhood sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priest Fr. John Geoghan, reported The Boston Globe on Jan. 6, 2002. Over the next decade, around the world and as recently as last month in The Netherlands, came revelations that thousands of Catholic priests had abused tens of thousands of children in the last half of the 20th Century.

Voice of the Faithful, comprising thousands of concerned mainstream Catholics, has dedicated the last decade to supporting survivors and conscientious priests and trying to change Church structure and governance to help prevent scandals like child sexual abuse.

“Sadly, in spite of the Church hierarchy’s numerous apologies to survivors and wide variety of mandated programs, we cannot be sure our children are safe,” says Mark Mullaney, incoming president during VOTF’s 10th anniversary year.

First, Mullaney points out, the Church’s agencies for reporting and handling sexual abuse allegations are not independent of Church control or influence and their processes are not transparent. Second, the Church has not censured or removed any official or bishop discovered to have been involved in keeping clergy sexual abuse secret or to have transferred accused abusers instead of removing them immediately from ministry.

The Church deserves credit for enormous strides in improving its vigilance of child sexual abuse, and attitudes have changed dramatically, according to Mullaney.

“But the Church has been implicated in stealing the innocence of thousands of children, irreparably ruining the lives of most of them,” he says. “VOTF will continue its struggle until the Church does at least two things. First, improves child protection guidelines to mandate specific disciplinary action for violations. Second, makes diocesan review audits more effective by ensuring unrestricted access to personnel files and complete independence of auditing agencies.”

Mullaney adds, “When it comes to the Church’s abuses, the Church hierarchy has been like the proverbial broken record. The record has been playing for 10 years now. Our firm desire is that it stops now.”

Voice of the Faithful

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: December 30, 2011

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In the Vineyard: December 16, 2011

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Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Catholic Church Awards $5,000 to Former Michigan Teacher

votfpr — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:17:35 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 21, 2011 – A Michigan teacher fired from her position at a Catholic elementary school has been awarded $5,000 in the fourth round of grants from the Voice of the Faithful’s Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Church. These grants support women who have lost employment in the Catholic Church because of injustice or discrimination.

The Emily & Rosemary Fund grant review committee determined Linda Bohlinger, Oscoda, Mich., presented material in her grant application that indicated she was wrongfully terminated from Holy Family Catholic School in East Tawas, Mich. Written comments in Bohlinger’s record, for example, did not agree with her positive numerical performance scores and her work history did not appear to warrant losing her job. At the time she had been a teacher for 24 years.

In response to a disciplinary letter removed from her employment history and later put back into her file, Bohlinger wrote, “I have never had a write up, I have never had a complaint from a parent, I rarely need a substitute, I feel I need to defend myself and have been blindsided by this disciplinary action.” The disciplinary report included four alleged incidents within three months of 2009, and Bohlinger’s contract was not renewed for 2010. She had been at the school for four years.

Bohlinger said she will use her grant to continue her education and start a Spanish immersion tutoring business to help meet the educational needs in her rural community. “We applaud your plans to share your gifts with Spanish-speaking communities,” the review committee said in its award letter. “The review committee is pleased to provide you this funding, and we hope that it will assist in getting you started in a new educational direction.”

“The Emily & Rosemary Fund grants provide women with an opportunity for redress,” said Dan Bartley, VOTF president, “and the grants actually are funded by a woman who was callously wronged by her Church employers.”

Lynette Petruska, formerly a Roman Catholic nun and now a St. Louis attorney, established the Emily & Rosemary Fund in 2009. The fund helps support women who lose employment in the Roman Catholic Church as a result of injustice or discrimination and also supports women who are working to bring about justice and equality in the Church. Petruska said she experienced injustice and discrimination after opposing sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct by priests at Gannon University, Erie, Penn., where she was appointed the first female chaplain in 1999.

Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Church grants are awarded in October and April. Grant applications are available at http://www.votf.org. Completed applications are accepted by e-mail at office@votf.org.

Voice of the Faithful

Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and shape structural change within the Church. More information is at http://www.votf.org.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

Voice of the Faithful Repeats Calls for Transparency & Accountability as Dutch Report Widespread Clergy Sexual Abuse

votfpr — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:59:46 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 20, 2011 – Another chapter in the horrific story of worldwide Roman Catholic clergy child sexual abuse began Dec. 16 when a commission established by the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands released its report.

“In the Netherlands, as elsewhere, clerics who perpetrated sexual abuse on helpless children could do so first because they suffered no repercussions themselves, and second because the Church neither held accountable, nor disciplined their hierarchical supervisors,” said Dan Bartley, VOTF president.

The report concluded that, between 1945 and 2010, “several tens of thousands of minors have experienced mild, serious and very serious forms of inappropriate sexual behavior,” and “bishops and other church authorities were not ignorant of the problem,” and “in many cases they failed to take adequate actions and paid too little attention to victims.” The commission said Dutch dioceses, religious orders and congregations mentioned about 800 perpetrators in response to its queries. Although at least 150 of these perpetrators are still alive, the commission did not know how many are still in their jobs.

The report mentioned a “culture of cover-up,” and, considering the evidence, said that, “it is therefore impossible to speak of ignorance (of clergy sexual abuse) at management level. The report also commented that “the existence of a ‘culture of silence’ from the outset was not uncommon in organizations, like the congregation (Salesians of Don Bosco), with a strong esprit de corps.”

“For nearly a decade, Voice of the Faithful has called for transparency within the Church, whereby abuse allegations and records supporting allegations would be open to the general public, and accountability, whereby perpetrators and those in the hierarchy who covered-up or abetted perpetrators would be disciplined,” said Bartley. “Neither has happened. Until they do, our children will not be safe.”

Voice of the Faithful’s Child Protection and Survivor Support group maintains a Victims/Survivors, Friends and Supporters forum on the VOTF website at http://voices.votf.org/cpss/victimsurvivors-forum/ where comments can be posted.

Voice of the Faithful

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

News Release -- Irish Audits Show Clergy Sex Abuse Won't Stop Without Accountability, Independent Review

votfpr — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:24:02 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 1, 2011 – For 36 years, leaders of six Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland not only mishandled clergy sexual abuse and were not held accountable for abetting abuse, but also failed to establish reviews totally independent of Church influence, according to Voice of the Faithful’s reading of reports by Ireland’s National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church released Nov. 30.

Despite what auditors considered “marked improvement” of child protection practices in these diocese, they also turned up past significant errors in judgment by bishops; protection of priest perpetrators rather than child victims; lack of plans to safeguard children; mismanagement of allegations, including allegations not being referred promptly to state agencies; transfer of priests to cover-up abuse; and the use of clergy appointed by bishops as “designated officers” to whom abuse concerns are reported, which calls into question whether they can make judgments independent of Church hierarchy.

Bishop Dr. Philip Boyce of the Raphoe Diocese, for example, is reported as saying, “There were horrific acts of abuse of children by individual priests that should never have happened and if suspected should have been dealt with immediately in the appropriate manner.”

Dan Bartley, VOTF president, concluded, “The NBSCCC and its audits are similar to the U.S. bishops’ National Review Board and audits, which we find lack both the independence to review diocesan child safeguarding practices adequately and the authority to hold accountable bishops who have hidden and abetted abuse.”

“Based on our experience, we cannot assume that Ireland’s bishops will follow NBSCCC child protection guidelines any more than the U.S. bishops followed their own National Review Board standards. There must be independent monitors and consequences for bishops who fail to meet the standards. Thus, we make the same recommendations to the NBSCCC that we made earlier this year to the NRB and Office of Child and Youth Protection,” Bartley said.

Those recommendations included: 1.) changing bishops’ child protection guidelines to mandate specific disciplinary action for violating those guidelines; and 2.) making audits more effective by ensuring unrestricted access to personnel files and complete independence of auditing agencies.

NBSCCC audited six Irish dioceses: Raphoe, Tuam, Kilmore, Derry, Ardagh Clonmacnoise and Dromore. Ireland has 26 Catholic dioceses, and the NBSCCC reportedly plans to audit every diocese. The purpose of the audits, which covered January 1975 through August 2011, was to assess whether the dioceses current child safeguarding practices comply with Ireland’s national standards and to ensure that allegations of child abuse are handled appropriately.

Voice of the Faithful
Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and increase the laity’s role in governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at http://www.votf.org.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360 Office, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: November 18, 2011

dbdoucette — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:21:25 -0800

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VOTF National Statement -- Nothing Has Changed at Vatican as Cardinal Law Leaves Basilica Post

votfpr — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:17:08 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 21, 2011 – Nothing in the Vatican’s response to clergy sexual abuse has changed with the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law from his post as archpriest of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, according to Voice of the Faithful, the worldwide Catholic Church reform movement.

At the epicenter of the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2002, Law was forced to resign as archbishop in 2004 because of the outrage of many faithful Catholics and unprecedented appeal from diocesan priests. Having kept clergy sexual abuse secret and transferred perpetrators to unsuspecting parishes, and then having been appointed to a prestigious position in Rome, Law has become an international symbol of the Catholic Church’s mishandling of the scandal.

VOTF is pleased that Law has left his privileged position at one of Rome’s major basilicas and will no longer hold positions of authority at several Vatican congregations, or offices, including the office that helps the pope assign bishops, but is disheartened that he has held these positions for so long after his role in clergy sexual abuse became clear.

The Vatican announced Law’s successor as archpriest at St. Mary Major, according to news reports, without mentioning Law or his resignation. Without reading too much into the Vatican’s action, VOTF hopes its constant calls for the Vatican to hold bishops accountable for hiding clergy sexual abuse are being heard.

VOTF has said for nearly a decade and still firmly believes that Law and other bishops worldwide who have helped cover-up clergy sexual abuse and shuffled pedophiles from parish to unsuspecting parish, and who, therefore, have put countless children at risk of abuse, must be held accountable by the Church through removal from office or similar disciplinary action.

Voice of the Faithful
Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and shape structural change within the Church. More information is at http://www.votf.org.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell
nickingala@votf.org

VOTF National Statement -- Young Girls Again Are Prohibited from Serving Mass

votfpr — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:31:45 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 23, 2011 – Young girls have been prohibited from serving Mass by the pastor of Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Arlington, Va.

In 2006, even as he relinquished a long-standing practice that excluded girls from altar service, Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde authorized diocesan priests to continue to exclude them. The result today is that 60 percent of the Arlington diocese’s parishes have no girl altar servers. A recent decision by Corpus Christi pastor Rev. Michael Taylor to revoke the practice of girl altar servers sparked angry outcries from moms, dads, grandparents and others who see the injustice in Gospel terms, not in the legalisms of Catholic Canon Law to which the bishop and priests cling to in order to support their practices.

Nearly 70 parishioners gathered outside the Arlington chancery this past Sunday, Nov. 20, to protest against excluding girls from altar service. Voice of the Faithful, the worldwide Catholic Church reform movement, supports these lay Catholics and encourages lay Catholics everywhere to stand similarly against Catholic hierarchy who betray Gospel teachings.

“Restricting altar service to boys contradicts Jesus’s core teachings and perpetuates a dysfunctional clerical culture in the Church,” says VOTF trustee Bill Casey of Alexandria, Va.

VOTF recently defined clericalism as the pattern of behavior in which clergy view themselves as different, separate and exempt from the norms, rules and consequences that apply to everyone else in society.

“In light of this clericalism,” Casey says, “the practice of excluding girls from altar service counters scripture. Jesus persistently directed his teachings and healings to the interests of the marginalized groups in the society of his day. He preached a kingdom of God without privilege, rank or entitlement—a message aimed squarely at the religious leaders who taught and behaved quite to the contrary.”

Similar controversies over girl altar servers have occurred elsewhere, for example, in Phoenix, Ariz., and Lincoln, Neb.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell
nickingala@votf.org

VOTF National Statement -- The Catholic Church, Penn State and Rampant Child Sexual Abuse

votfpr — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:46:59 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 17, 2011 -- The recent grand jury account of child sexual abuse at Pennsylvania State University are as sickening as grand jury accounts of similar abuse by Catholic clergy in Philadelphia, Ireland, Boston and elsewhere, and the fact that the crimes were covered up is just as criminal, according to the worldwide Catholic Church reform movement Voice of the Faithful. But the reactions of leaders in these institutions were drastically different.

Catholic clergy for some time have garnered the bulk of headlines about sexual abuse of minors, but the fact that child sexual abuse is everywhere is evident. Sexual abuse of vulnerable, innocent children is rampant in society, and anyone who thinks that victims of abuse are lying or that abuse can happen anywhere only needs to read their anguished accounts in grand jury reports or recent media stories about Pennsylvania State University and The Citadel.

But the fact of sex abuse elsewhere in no way diminishes the failure of the Church’s hierarchy to respond appropriately when informed of such crimes. The now widely known practice of the bishops and the Vatican to cover-up of the crimes of clergy sexual abuse, to hide the predators within a clerical culture of elitism, to shuffle sexual predators from unsuspecting parish to unsuspecting parish and to reward the bishops who hid these crimes with plum assignments and cushy retirements remains a stain on our Church. We are still waiting for bishops to be held publically accountable.

The Catholic Church never has removed or even censured a bishop for hiding clergy sexual abuse—an omission clearly in contrast with the actions of the Penn State trustees. Once stirred by grand jury reports and publicity, the Penn State board of trustees acted quickly to suspend athletic department employees and to fire its president and head football coach Joe Paterno.

How sad that the Catholic hierarchy cannot apply the same moral standard as a secular organization. VOTF is aghast at headline after headline that buries the Church deeper and deeper into the muck of clergy sexual abuse. Bishops claim that protection of children is their prime priority, that guidelines and audits are doing a wonderful job of keeping children safe, that clergy sexual abuse is in the past. We know that is simply false. Just this year alone, witness Philadelphia and Kansas City.

Despite clear evidence from two grand jury reports that Philadelphia’s Cardinal Justin Rigali failed to remove priests credibly accused of child sex abuse, he was appointed special envoy to a Catholic saint’s bicentennial celebration and later allowed a comfortable retirement as emeritus archbishop. In Kansas City, Bishop Robert Finn, after being criminally charged for failure to report sexual abuse and avoiding a second criminal indictment by making a deal with the prosecutor, remains head of his diocese, without reprimand and apparently without any demand that he step down.

We can never tolerate sexual abuse of our children by priests, or lies, cover-ups and secrecy by our bishops. Mandatory reporting and disciplinary action are required. Penn State, a complex, hierarchical structure similar to the Church was able to rid itself of leaders involved in abuse and cover-up. The Catholic Church must do the same.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell
nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: Nov. 4, 2011

dbdoucette — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:30:47 -0800

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News Release -- Church Reform Group Identifies Serious Flaw in Bishops' Clerical Abuse Report

votfpr — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:12:11 -0700

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 3, 2011 – A serious flaw exists in the John Jay College report on the causes and context of the Catholic Church’s worldwide sexual abuse scandal, according to the worldwide Church reform group Voice of the Faithful. The report was made public earlier this year, and the VOTF board of trustees recently reached this conclusion after an internal committee studied the report for several months. The committee's conclusions were released in October.

VOTF trustee Bill Casey of Alexandria, Va., said, “Although John Jay’s causes and context research credibly documents a 60-year pattern of clergy sexual abuse of minors and clerical cover-up, the report’s serious flaw is failing to name and ascribe how much a clerical culture substantially contributed to that abuse by hiding, enabling and minimizing it.”

In a summary of their John Jay study review called “The John Jay Report: Right Context, Wrong Conclusions,” VOTF trustees challenged as a fundamental influence on sexual abuse of children by clergy the John Jay Report’s emphasis on the link between the peak period of abuses (about 1965-1985) and the deviant behavior in society during the 1960s and 1970s: the “blame Woodstock” approach.

“VOTF believes the John Jay report’s overemphasis on this connection distracts from the Catholic Church hierarchy’s persistent denial and enabling of clergy sexual abuse during the entire 60-year period,” said Dan Bartley, VOTF president. He added that such enabling has been seen most recently in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Houston, where bishops failed to report suspected crimes in a timely and complete way even when mandated to do so.

“We concluded from our review,” said VOTF trustee Mark Mulllaney of Wayland, Mass., “that the John Jay Report’s findings clearly show how Catholic Church hierarchy denied or minimized evidence of clergy sexual abuse of minors and mismanaged the Church’s response to the evidence. Their actions resulted in the harmful treatment of victims, their families and the faith communities for which they had pastoral responsibility. That finding from the report deserved more emphasis.”

According to Bartley, VOTF review faulted the John Jay Report most especially for describing but not naming clericalism as a major contributor to the abuse. “We see clericalism,” he said, “as the attitude on the part of the clergy that they are different than, separate from and above others and therefore exempt from rules and consequences that apply to everyone else in society.”

VOTF trustees concluded their John Jay Report review by offering recommendations they said the Catholic Church should adopt to respond to clergy sexual abuse in a believable way for victims and their families, innocent clergy and lay Catholics whose trust in the hierarchy has been deeply damaged.

The recommendations include:

fully independent and comprehensive audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards;
fully independent diocesan review boards and victim assistance offices;
specific disciplinary action for bishops who oppose or violate the provisions of their Charter to Protect Children and Young People;
official support for reform of statutes of limitation for sexual abuse;
listening sessions nationwide to hear lay people’s, as opposed to clergy, reactions to the sexual abuse scandal and expectations for its full resolution; and
access by independent investigators to clergy personnel records throughout the U.S., similar to German bishops’ voluntary action in July 2011.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell
nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: Oct. 20, 2011

dbdoucette — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:19:27 -0700

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Voice of the Faithful National Statement -- Finally Accountability for a Bishop

votfpr — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:04:15 -0700

NEWTON, Mass., Oct. 14, 2011 – Bishop Robert Finn and the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese were indicted today by a Jackson County, Missouri, grand jury for failing to report child abuse, the first time a Catholic bishop has been indicted on such a charge since clergy sexual abuse of children was first made widely known in the United States.

Voice of the Faithful long has sought accountability for church officials who have not responded quickly and openly to protect children when allegations of abuse have become known. VOTF is saddened to see that, despite numerous pledges to prevent such abuse and to remove predator priests, a bishop still chose silence rather than reporting potential criminal activity to responsible civil authorities.

Equally sad is that ineffectiveness and lack of accountability at the highest levels of the Catholic Church forces us to rely on civil authorities to hold bishops accountable for failures to protect children.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 718-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell
nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: Oct. 6, 2011

dbdoucette — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:50:43 -0700

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Voice of the Faithful Focus, Sept. 29, 2011

votfpr — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:38:15 -0700

Highlighting issues we face working together
to Keep the Faith, Change the Church

Focus Moves to In the Vineyard
As mentioned in Focus last time, beginning Oct. 6, Focus will move to the "Site Seeing" column of In the Vineyard. We're making the change in consideration of your time and the number of e-mails we expect you to read. "Site Seeing," like Focus, gathers important news for you from around the world. We'll still highlight issues we face working together to Keep the Faith, Change the Church, and you'll have two fewer e-mails to read each month. We hope you like the change.

Amnesty International Slams Irish Catholic Church
A new report by the Irish branch of Amnesty International says the sexual abuse of children by Ireland's Roman Catholic priests "included acts that amounted to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment." The 430-page report on this "human rights failure" was released this past Monday, Sept. 26.

Primacy of Conscience & Women's Ordination
An organization promoting Catholic social justice and dialogue around primacy of conscience, The 8th Day Center for Justice, has been chastised by Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, for screening the film "Pink Smoke over the Vatican" and a talk by Fr. Roy Bourgeois. The documentary expresses support for women's ordination in the Roman Catholic Church.

More Clergy Sexual Abuse Comes to Light
Among the places where clergy sexual abuse of minors continues to come to light is Montana, where 45 Native American men and women recently claimed they suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the Catholic clergy. And...

Catholic Church in Switzerland Reveals Scale of Sex Abuse -- The Catholic Church in Switzerland has released new details of sexual abuse committed by priests and pastoral workers over the past 60 years
Children's Shelter Tried to Cover Up Assaults -- If you think the above stories are just additional episodes of abuses from long ago, this story is about Catholic Charities misleading federal authorities just this past July about sexual assault at a shelter for immigrant children.
Take Abuse Cases Out of Clerical Hands -- To paraphrase a recently released report of the investigation of the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, diocese: diocesan officials - priests and bishops - should never investigate accusations of other priests.

Catholic Laity Must Work for Different Church
The Church is not perfect. The Church comprises more than priests, bishops and pope. The Holy Spirit works equally well through all the People of God, including lay men and women. And who will give us a different Church more responsive to the needs of the faithful? Lay men and women.

Massachusetts Statute of Limitations Reform
Murder presently is the only crime in Massachusetts without a statute of limitations, but a bill now in the state legislature would eliminate the statute of limitations on sex crimes against children.

Pope Visits Germany Amidst Protest & Praise
The pope's visit to his home country of Germany, which wrapped up earlier this week, created much media coverage. During his visit, prominent Swiss theologian Hans Kung compared the pope to Russia's Vladimir Putin; the pope met with sex abuse victims; and the pope admitted the Church today has a questionable reputation.

Pope Appoints New Bishop in Manchester, N.H.
The pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop John McCormack of Manchester, New Hampshire, and has named the Most Rev. Peter Libasci, auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre, New York, as his successor.

Is the Church at Turning Point on Celibacy
In a new autobiography, Fr. Eduard Daly, former bishop of Derry and the handkerchief-waving priest of the famous Bloody Sunday photograph, has called for an end to the celibacy rule for Catholic priests.

Two Steps Ahead of the Spirit
Anthony Esolen, Providence College professor of Renaissance English literature and the development of western civilization, talks in this essay about the differences between the actual Vatican II documents and the commentary on the Vatican II documents as being "inspired" or "guided" by the Holy Spirit.

Voice of the Faithful Focus, Sept. 15, 2011

votfpr — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:08:04 -0700

Highlighting issues we face
working together to Keep the Faith, Change the Church

Canon Lawyer Advocates for Fr. Bourgeois
Canon lawyer Fr. Tom Doyle has argued extensively for Fr. Roy Bourgeois' right to conscience. The Maryknoll, threatened with excommunication for taking part in a women's ordination ceremony, has requested that his superiors ask theologians to reconsider issues stemming from his support for women's ordination.
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Hague Is Asked to Investigate Vatican Over Abuse
Human rights lawyers and victims clergy sexual abuse victims have filed a complaint urging the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute the pope and three Vatican officials. The complaint charges that the widespread sexual abuse by priests and the handling of those cases by bishops and Vatican authorities constitute human rights abuses. The Vatican's U.S. lawyer called the complaint a "ludicrous publicity stunt."
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The Catholic Church's Secret Sex Crime Files
"The five co-defendants sit close enough to shake hands in the Philadelphia courtroom," begins a graphic Rolling Stone expose of Philadelphia's clergy sexual abuse scandal. As the report ticks off the familiar charges of child rape and coverup, we're sickened, saddened and more committed than ever to changing the church. A commentary in Commonweal reinforces the gravity of Rolling Stone's report.
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Philadelphia Urgently Needs Truth, Compassion & Healing
What is Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Philadelphia's new archbishop, up to with his installation homily? National Catholic Reporter and we want to know.
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Priest Urges Women to Protest Missal's 'Sexist Language'
As if the antiphon translations in the new English-language missal aren't bad enough, the blatant patriarchal bias in the translators' penchant for male pronouns is worse. One of the founders of Ireland's Association of Catholic Priests wants Catholic women to write to bishops nationwide to protest sexist language. The significantly altered missal may surprise many.
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End Celibacy & Help Save the Church
Retired Derry bishop Fr. Edward Daly is confronting the Vatican over compulsory celibacy for priests. He is one of a lengthening list of priests and bishops who, once they retire, begin to speak out on celibacy and the church's treatment of women.
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The Policy Myth versus 'Accountability with Teeth'
Earlier this year, Voice of the Faithful charged that the U.S. bishop's Dallas Charter "lacks teeth," and made specific recommendations to make the charter more effective, among them disciplinary action for bishops who violate the charter. Now, National Catholic Reporter, in studying how the Vatican's policies don't necessarily lead to accountability, says some clerics are calling for "accountability with teeth."
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Vatican II 50^th Anniversary Celebrated
National Catholic Reporter columnist Richard McBrien has finished his series exploring Vatican II's major ecclesiological themes or principles. Here are the six titles, wich links:
     -- The Church as an Eschatological Community
     -- The Church is Ecumenical
     -- The Church as Communion
     -- The Church as Mystery, or Sacrament
     -- The People of God
     -- The Church as Servant
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