Contact: Suzanne Morse 617-680-2131, smorse@votf.org

For Immediate Release

Voice of the Faithful Encouraged by Pope John Paul II’s Call for Shared Responsibility and Renewal

Organization Urges U.S. Bishops to Take Action to Return Responsibility to Catholicism

Newton, Mass. – September 15, 2004 – Members of Voice of the Faithful are encouraged by the statements of Pope John Paul II that calls on U.S. Catholic Bishops to renew the Church through shared responsibility and meaningful lay participation. The organization of lay Catholics is urging the Pope to take both the meaningful and symbolic action of meeting with a delegation of survivors. Additionally, Voice of the Faithful is calling on the U.S. Bishops to create an environment that will foster cooperation between clergy and laity for the renewal of the Church.

“It is a positive step that the Pope has openly called for ‘a commitment to creating better structures of participation, consultation, and shared responsibility,’” said James E. Post, president of Voice of the Faithful. “It demonstrates that the voices of those lay persons who care deeply about the future of the Catholic Church are being heard at the highest levels. With these words, Pope John Paul II has opened the door for a larger discussion about returning responsibility to the Church as work that must be shared by the hierarchy, the clergy, and the laity.”

“Pope John Paul II’s call for discernment and renewal of the Church is precisely the kind of hopeful vision that the Catholic Church needs at this crucial moment,” said Steve Krueger, executive director of Voice of the Faithful. “His words appear to come out of the spirit of Vatican II, which set the path for lay participation in the guidance of the Church. While acknowledging that the Bishops have the right and duty of governance in the Church, the Pope has shown that this does not exclude the gifts of lay women and men, as has unfortunately happened. It is now up to the U.S. Bishops to work with members of the laity who are providing leadership to see if they can find ways to turn those hopeful words into inclusive action.”

The statement made no mention of the possibility that Pope John Paul II or officials at the Vatican will meet with an international delegation of survivors, which leaders of Voice of the Faithful has advocated to the Vatican. “It is disappointing, unfortunately, that the Vatican has not yet met with survivors,” said Post. “The greatest signal that Pope John Paul II could send to Bishops throughout the world to encourage the kind of accountability he mentioned in his statement is to meet and have a dialogue with representatives of the survivor community. We are still hopeful that this Pope, who has atoned for so many of the Church’s past failings, will take the opportunity to meet with this courageous group of people.”

The organization is urging the U.S. Catholic Bishops to create an environment that encourages an open dialogue with members of the laity to discuss important issues facing the future of the Church. Among those issues are atoning to and reconciling with survivors; encouraging financial accountability and transparency at the diocesan and parish levels; creating effective structures for meaningful lay participation in the Church; promoting cooperation between clergy and laity; and renewing the Church that inspires and welcomes all Catholic voices.

“We are at a crossroads within the Catholic Church, and the Pope has just expressed a model of leadership that is necessary for the Church to move forward in a positive way,” said Krueger. “Lay women and men are providing leadership by taking responsibility. Now, it is incumbent upon the Bishops to show that they are up to the challenge to follow that model, rather than one that will continue to alienate people.”

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About Voice of the Faithful: Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group's mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support victim/survivors of abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church teaching. VOTF’s supporting membership exceeds 30,000 registered persons from 50 U.S. states, 39 countries and 207 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.