VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL CONCLUDES FIRST MEETING
WITH ARCHBISHOP SEAN O’MALLEY

Archbishop Sean and VOTF Agree to Work Together

Brighton, Mass., Nov. 19, 2003 – Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), a group of over 30,000 mainstream lay Catholics formed in response to the Church’s clergy sexual abuse crisis, met for the first time today with Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley at the Archdiocese of Boston’s Chancery complex.

VOTF Executive Director Steve Krueger reported that at the meeting, “Previously closed doors were opened, with dialogue towards mutual collaboration on several fronts.” Archbishop Sean expressed willingness for the Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB) to work with VOTF in efforts to:

• Renew and strengthen Parish Pastoral Councils
• Renew and strengthen Parish Finance Committees
• Implement Child Safety Programs (VOTF will work with Deacon Anthony Rizzuto)
• Review with RCAB Chancellor David Smith the mechanics of accepting distributions from the Voice of Compassion-Boston Fund. Previously, the RCAB has declined over $100,000 in donations from this Fund, and the monies have been donated to Catholic Charities.

Meeting participants also discussed rescinding Cardinal Law’s partial ban of VOTF from meeting on Boston-area Church property. However, Archbishop Sean indicated he was not ready to make a judgment on the bans, and requested additional time to review the matter.

Voice of the Faithful President Jim Post was encouraged that a sincere and constructive dialogue had been initiated. “We spoke and they listened – they spoke and we listened. There was a lot of mutual respect around the table that we can and will build on.”

VOTF participants at the meeting were Jim Post, Steve Krueger, Elia Marnik of VOTF’s Protecting Our Children working group, and Margaret Roylance of VOTF’s Structural Change working group. RCAB attendees were Archbishop Sean, Rev. Christopher Coyne, Bishop Richard Lennon, Chancellor David Smith, and Office of Healing Director Barbara Thorpe.

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 more than 41 U.S. states, 21 countries and 188 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.

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