VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL JOINS SURVIVORS IN MEETING WITH
GOV. KEATING ON CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE CRISIS

Newton, Mass., - Oct. 4, 2002 - Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), a group of over 25,000 mainstream lay Catholics who support the teachings of the Church and who formed in response to the Church's sexual abuse crisis, today joined with survivors of clergy sexual abuse in a landmark meeting with Gov. Frank Keating, chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ National Review Board monitoring the compliance of Catholic bishops with new policies for disciplining sexually abusive priests.

Attending the meeting were VOTF members, individual survivors, and representatives of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP). Participants reported that the meeting focused on listening and dialogue, as well as on the vital importance for the hierarchy to listen to all views in order to address the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis.

Gov. Keating commented, “Bishops need to listen to survivors and grassroots organizations. I don’t see what’s wrong with open dialogue – we can’t talk too much.”

A Massachusetts SNAP representative, Ann Hagan Webb, commented, “The governor heard and seemed to agree that victims need to be listened to by the bishops, in the same way we have been listened to by Voice of the Faithful.”

Also commenting on the meeting, VOTF president Jim Post said, “This was a meeting for us to communicate with the governor. He listened well and emphasized dialogue at every level – agreeing with our notion of 'don’t lock doors, don’t lock minds.'”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the governor encouraged further ongoing dialogue among the National Review Board, Voice of the Faithful and SNAP.

Voice of the Faithful is a Newton, Mass.-based worldwide organization of mainstream lay Catholics who support the teachings of the Church and who 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, to support priests of integrity, and to shape structural change within the Catholic Church in harmony and accordance with the teachings of Vatican II. VOTF's supporting membership exceeds 25,000 registered individuals from more than 40 U.S. states and 21 countries. # # #

Contact: Mike Emerton
Press Secretary
Voice of the Faithful
Newton, MA
617-680-2131