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Fall 2011 Voice of the Faithful National Meeting Held in June Voice Matters Keep the Faith, Change the Church © 2011 Voice of the Faithful Voice of the Faithful newsletter for its members worldwide Fall 2011 Voice of the Faithful National Meeting Held in June oice of the Faithful members nationwide gathered at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Detroit Von June 10 for VOTF’s 2011 national meeting. Attendees heard affi liate and Voices in Action team updates, presentations and a panel discussion on the common features and causes of clergy sexual abuse and fi nancial scandals in the Church. VOTF Trustee Ron Dubois led a Centering Prayer to open the meeting, followed by a welcome and introduction from VOTF President Dan Bartley. Marita Green of VOTF Greater Philadelphia recounted “Th e Philadelphia Story: Th e Loopholes VOTF National Meeting attendees listen intently to VIA team updates. in ‘Zero Tolerance.’” Philadelphia’s clergy sexual abuse scandal continues, even after resignation of its archbishop, description of VOTF Bridgeport’s “Bless Me Father, for Cardinal Rigali, and Archbishop Chaput’s appointment. I Have Sinned,” John Marshall Lee; and VOTF webpage Forum for Victims/Survivors, Friends, and Supporters. Voices in Action team reports included: • Women’s Initiative, assisting women’s roles in the • Child Protection/Survivor Support—“Initiatives in Church, new team leader Trustee Pat Gomez. Motion,” Trustee Bill Casey; Chicago report on the • Universal Church Reform—Overview, National Secretary Priest Work History Research Project, Bob Kopp; (Continued on Page 4) “We make a difference!” Alice was searching for a new parish. St. John’s attracted her because the pastor handled well parishioners’ grief over very time she drove by clergy sexual abuse revelations that covered Boston Globe St. John the Evangelist pages in 2002. She moved cautiously, attending early VOTF EChurch in Wellesley meetings, but did not join St. John’s for a couple of years. on Monday evenings, more cars were there. Soon, police “Being Catholic is an essential part of who I am,” Alice were directing traffi c, and says. “I was looking for a way to deal with the abuse in the reporters were milling about Church, and when I found the VOTF community, where waiting to catch people as they felt as I did, I felt as though I were coming home.” the meeting inside broke up. Nine years later, she’s still faithful to St. John’s and VOTF. Th e activity sparked Alice “Right from those early years, we wanted to address an Campanella’s curiosity. She organization (the Church) that was without transparency knew the meetings were Voice of the Faithful. “I had heard or accountability and that could allow something like this about Voice of the Faithful,” she says, “but didn’t know very abuse to happen,” Alice says. “Our mission and goals were much about it and wasn’t sure about joining.” She learned formulated in VOTF’s fi rst few months.” 400 to 500 people were attending the meetings. (Continued on Page 4) VOTF Member Newsletter 1 Fall 2011 Concealment Fuels Clergy Sexual Abuse Scandal espite almost a decade of promises to remove credibly reassurances from Archbishop Cardinal Justin Rigali that accused priest abusers from ministry and follow child all had been removed. Subsequently, three priests and a Dprotection policies, too many bishops continue a Catholic school teacher were charged with rape, and the strategy of concealment that fuels clergy sex-abuse scandals. monsignor who made priest assignments under former Th e global spotlight has nudged the Vatican towards better Archbishop Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua stood charged policies to protect children and report abusers to civil with child endangerment. Msgr. William Lynn is the fi rst authorities, but does not seem to have moved local dioceses. Church offi cial in the decade-old abuse scandal to be criminally charged for endangering children. In the United States, the latest evidence that concealment trumps transparency and accountability came from As the grand jury reported, the sex abuse allegations came Philadelphia in February, and worldwide from the Cork after U.S. bishops pledged zero tolerance in their 2002 County Ireland diocese of Cloyne in July. (Continued on Page 3) Philadelphia Indictments Snag Chancery Offi cial In Philadelphia, a grand jury reported 37 priests credibly VOTF Recommendations for Making USCCB Eff orts accused of sexual abuse were still in ministry—despite To Protect Children More Eff ective • Amend USCCB 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People to mandate disciplinary action for future charter violations. John Jay College Reports on Causes • Make audits more eff ective by allowing & Context of Clergy Sexual Abuse unrestricted access to priests’ personnel fi les. • Ensure diocesan review boards are completely n May, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice reported independent of a bishop’s infl uence and on “Th e Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors possess the necessary expertise. Iby Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010.” • Insulate victims in diocesan victim assistance In the report, researchers cite lack of transparency and programs from chancery offi cials, diocesan accountability as key factors in the cover-ups that have law fi rms and insurance companies. prolonged the scandal and delayed justice for the abused, • Stop opposing changes in state sexual abuse as VOTF has long pointed out. statutes of limitations. • Hold NRB listening sessions nationwide to In addition to transparency and accountability, the Causes hear lay Catholics’ reactions to clergy child and Context study points out several other factors in the sexual abuse and its cover-up and their abuse scandal that VOTF has long cited: expectations for resolving the scandal. • Th e culture of clericalism, which fosters secrecy and places clergy and the hierarchy apart and above the VOTF Resolution for Fraternal Correction laity, contributes to the climate for abuse and, more • When USCCB learns a bishop has engaged importantly, is prolonging a resolution to the scandal. in activity prohibited by the Charter for the • Bishops who have responded to the abuse scandal by Protection of Children and Young People, or allowing credibly accused priests to remain in ministry • When USCCB learns a bishop has disregarded are among the principal causes of the clergy sexual the principles of the charter and has failed to abuse scandal. take the actions required by the charter, or • Th e vast majority of clergy are priests of integrity. • When USCCB learns a bishop has made public statements indicating his disagreement with Current examples of the Church’s failure in handling and the charter’s principles or his unwillingness preventing abuse include the Philadelphia archdiocese here to take the action the charter requires, and the Cloyne diocese in Ireland. (You can read about these • Then, if after notifying the bishop, he fails examples elsewhere in this newsletter.) to take corrective action within 60 days, the bishop shall be excluded from USCCB VOTF has placed John Jay report material on its website at activities, and USCCB’s action shall be reported www.votf.org, including links to some media reporting on to the Papal Nuncio and be the subject of a the research and the full texts of the Causes and Context USCCB press release. study and earlier Nature and Scope of the Problem study. VOTF Member Newsletter 2 Fall 2011 (Continued from Page 2) VOTF said penalties should be imposed on bishops who Dallas Charter. Worse, the grand jury found suffi cient fl out their responsibility to protect children. evidence in diocesan fi les to investigate, despite chancery claims the evidence was not there. Chancery offi cials also VOTF also objected when USCCB’s spring meeting in failed to report allegations to diocesan lay reviewers, rather Seattle made only superfi cial changes to the Dallas Charter, than reporting all claims as the review board expected. despite clear evidence that huge loopholes exist. VOTF asked Archbishop Dolan in a letter to make USCCB’s Cloyne Report Exposes Continued Failures position on child protection absolutely clear. Th e letter also In the Cloyne diocese, investigators found clergy sexual asked USCCB to resolve to exclude bishops violating the abuse and coverup as recently as 2009. Of these revelations, charter from USCCB activities (Sidebar, Pg. 2). VOTF in Ireland asked, “How can Catholics ever trust these lying bishops again? Th ese men acted as they did because Small Successes, Major Problems they belong to a clerical power structure that does not value When Cardinal Rigali’s formal resignation was accepted transparency and accountability. Th e administration of the in July in the midst of the scandal, VOTF found some law (Canon Law) is done in secret. Th is has to change.” hope. Although 76 and having submitted his mandatory retirement letter to the Vatican last May, he was not Anger at the bishops’ actions and Vatican documents that scheduled to retire at the earliest until later this year. seemed to encourage such lapses led the Irish prime minister to say, “…the Cloyne Report excavates the dysfunction, When the Church in Germany in July announced the disconnection, elitism—the narcissism—that dominate the opening of priest and employee personnel fi les to abuse culture of the Vatican to this day.” investigators, VOTF responded with a letter of appreciation to the spokesman for the bishops’ conference. Copies of the Voice of the Faithful Raised Your Voice letter were sent to prominent media and U.S. bishops. With the onslaught of these revelations, VOTF National worked with our Philadelphia affi liate and members in VOTF will continue to raise its voice for transparency, Ireland to respond forcefully. President Dan Bartley and accountability and renewal whenever secrecy, clericalism and Trustee Bill Casey (co-chair of the VIA Child Protection/ hierarchical misuse of power threaten the faithful.
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