Voice of the Faithful
Cathedral of the Holy Cross
Boston, MA

January 6, 2003

Remarks by Steve Krueger
at Feast of the Epiphany Memorial Vigil

Almost a year ago a tiny group of faithful, concerned Catholics came together in the basement of St. John the Evangelist Church in Wellesley, in shock, outrage, and pain, to share their feelings about the revelations of clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. Soon this listening session grew to weekly meetings - of a new group called Voice of the Faithful. Then people across America and the world began to hear about Voice of the Faithful through our Web site. New affiliates began forming so that Catholics could provide hope and the fellowship that could only come from a lay organization in the midst of this crisis.

On July 20th we held a convention in Boston to bring Catholics together to listen to renowned speakers and discuss the role of the laity in the Church. Four thousand two hundred people attended, and the event propelled Voice to the national and worldwide prominence. We established an office and were developing an organization to spread the message of hope and healing - in action - that VOTF represents.

Then, in August we received a phone call from one of our members in the Rockville Centre Diocese on Long Island. She was organizing an affiliate there and had received word that Bishop Murphy had just banned Voice of the Faithful from the use of Church property. It wasn't until Voice of the Faithful achieved a level of prominence that the bishops took notice of us. The bannings had begun. Since the first week of August we have been banned from using Church property to meet - in some or another - from nine dioceses across our country. Banned by Bishop Gerry in Portland, ME. Banned by Bishop Lori in Bridgeport, CT. Banned by Bishop Murphy in Rockville Centre, NY. Banned by Bishop Daly in Brooklyn, NY. Banned by Bishop Meyers in Newark, NJ. Banned by Bishop DiMarzio in Camden, NJ. Banned by Bishop Vasa in Baker, OR. And, frozen - meaning no new affiliates may be formed - in Boston, MA, by Cardinal Law. But what does this really mean?

When Voice of the Faithful is banned in a diocese, it is a statement by the bishops condemning over 25,000 lay Catholics who are the heart of the faith communities they live in and serve, not just our membership in those diocese. In effect, it is a condemnation of all the laity and the rights we have as defined in the universal law of our Church. And so this begs the question who are the members of Voice of the Faithful?

We are faithful Catholics who care enough about our Church that we are accepting our baptismal responsibilities, motivated by concern and galvanized out of hope. Over 90% of our members are actively involved in their parish or other service organization. On Sundays, Voice of the Faithful members are religious education teachers, Eucharistic ministers, and lectors. They sing in the choirs, serve on the parish councils, the finance committees, and serve those in need who are sick, who are hungry, and who are homeless. In sum, our members are living their faith in their churches and in the world and are embracing the rightful responsibilities that they are called to, particularly in the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

In their public statements banning Voice of the Faithful these bishops have labeled us as "anti-Catholic" and "anti-Church". One bishop accused us of having a "hidden agenda", even though the bishop acknowledged he didn't know anything about our organization. Another bishop faulted Voice of the Faithful for creating a scandal in a parish, but then reversed his decision to ban us after learning after learning our positive impact on the parish in the eyes of its pastor. In each and every case where we have been banned, our reputation has been smeared without the benefit of the bishop talking to our representatives. In sum, the bishops have judged us without knowing us and in doing so have cast aspersions on our members and VOTF as an organization.

So, what is the effect of the bannings on our Church and on Voice of the Faithful?

In the first place, the bannings hurt the Church within itself. By banning the people who are actively involved in parishes, the bishops are pushing away the faithful who work in the heart of the parish and the diocese.

Second, the bannings represent the hierarchy's manipulation of the faithful in their diocese, not their openness to listen to them. The bishops do this by asking Catholics to attend mass on Sundays, participate in church activities and support the parish financially. Then, on Mondays, they lock the doors and tell our members they cannot use the church. The only reason this manipulation works is that faithful Catholics are committed to their faith, their parishes, and the work they do.

Third, the bannings contradict the requirements for a collaborative church by stifling dialogue. Locking doors is the same as locking hearts and minds, which kills both the collective and personal spiritual growth within parishes and diocese.

Fourth, the bannings reflect poorly on the Church. There is no logic in banning without knowledge of what you are banning, and even then without due process. Ironically one of the Vatican's criticisms of the Norms issued after the Dallas Charter was that they lacked due process for priests. But, what kind of message does the Church send to people of all faiths with whom it is engaged in ecumenical dialogue, if it is not willing to listen to its own people?

Fifth, the bannings smear our members - a smear that is a subtle form of ex-communication. This smear is painful for our members. Robert Frost said that home is the place you go where they have to take you in. To be locked out of one's church is to be locked out of one's spiritual home. And it is painful for all Catholics who have hoped for a more collaborative church and now question how that will ever happen.

We are an informal association of mainstream Catholics who love our church and are committed to making it stronger through our actions. Voice of the Faithful has provided a new mechanism for energizing Catholics and engaging them in their faith. We believe in the teaching of our Church. We believe in supporting priests in their ministry, including bishops. And we also believe that a healthy Catholic Church encourages its bishops to be bishops for people, not for buildings. We call on those bishops who have banned us to rescind their bans. And we encourage Bishop Lennon and other bishops to establish common ground with Voice of the Faithful for the good of our beloved Church.