What do we mean by "Support Priests of Integrity"?
Draft Statement - Revised November 11th, 2002

We members of Voice of the Faithful are deeply saddened, in the midst of the current crisis, to experience the realization that we can no longer say that "priests" and "priests of integrity" are synonymous. We use this vocabulary to help us distinguish between our hopes and our fears; between priests who, like the rest of us, struggle daily to live the Christian vocation faithfully and priests whose failures have, tragically, deeply hurt particular individuals, their families and friends, and the Church and society at large.

Of course all Christians are called to live with integrity the life to which the gospel yokes us. As people of the Church, we call ourselves and, in a special way, our priests, to an integrity which is far more than simply the avoidance of criminal and scandalous behavior. To walk with integrity the path of the gospel and to live with integrity the teachings of the Church is not just a calling, but also a struggle that demands mutual support. So we call ourselves to support the efforts of our priests to live with integrity the promises and vows which come with ordination and religious life, and to seek integrity in their personal lives of prayer, in the simplicity of their lifestyle, in their daily ministry, and in their celebration of the Church's liturgy.

In support of priests of integrity, we pledge to listen to all priests, to their concerns, needs, hopes, fears, perspectives, and to their counsel. We seek justice and due process for anyone accused, and we seek transparency and accountability in their supervision. We pray for all priests and pledge to support them in their ministry. We expect not only to support priests of integrity, but also to seek their support for our efforts to find our voice, to support survivors of sexual abuse, and to work for change to deepen the integrity of the whole Church.

As we work to refine and implement this goal, we invite all (and priests in particular) to send us comments, suggestions, and criticism at keanewin@aol.com