Contact: John Moynihan 617-680-2131, jmoynihan@votf.org

For Immediate Release

Putting "Deus Caritas Est" into action in support of survivors.

02/02/06 - Voice of the Faithful is grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for his clear and lucid first encyclical "Deus Caritas Est." While the encyclical gives much to think about in the central theme of living a life of love, it is particularly pertinent to the relationship and actions of Bishops with respect to their treatment of survivors of sexual abuse. The Pope reminds Bishops that when they are ordained they promise "expressly to be, in the Lord's name, welcoming and merciful to the poor and to all those in need of consolation and assistance" The Pope says the Church should give "the very thing which the suffering person-every
person-needs: namely, loving personal concern."

Speaking of the relationship between the Church and her members the Pope says "The Church is God's family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life. ... the Church also has a specific responsibility: within the ecclesial family no member should suffer through being in need." The need for solace and healing for survivors of sexual abuse is certainly apparent to all and VOTF hopes that the hierarchy of the Church, even the Pope himself, will take these words to heart and go out to the survivors.