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

For Immediate Release

Voice of the Faithful Calls On U.S. Catholic Bishops to Recommit to their Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

Newton, MA and Denver, CO – June 14, 2004 – Leaders of Voice of the Faithful are urging the U.S. Catholics Bishops to recommit to the pastoral intent of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People they adopted in Dallas in 2002. Specifically, the organization of lay Catholics is calling on the Bishops to continue to empower a credible, all lay, National Review Board with the independence to critique the Bishop’s compliance with the Charter and to pledge to execute a long-term program of audits that measure the implementation of the Charter. Additionally, Voice of the Faithful is presenting the Bishops with the first batch of petitions signed by thousands of individuals demanding that the hierarchy be held accountable for the era of clergy sexual abuse.

“The bishops must appoint to the National Review Board members who have caliber, resolve and dedication of departing individuals like Justice Anne Burke, Robert Bennett, Leon Panetta and William Burleigh, who have distinguished themselves with service and vigilance, “said Kristine Ward, Vice President of Voice of the Faithful. “They also must build upon the National Review Board’s strengths and allow for the members to have an independence that will permit them to bring to the bishops the truth they need to hear.”

“We have seen, over the last few months, some Bishops trying to backslide on the commitments they made in 2002 on the self-reporting audits,” said Steve Krueger, Executive Director of Voice of the Faithful. “Some Bishops have taken the concept of ‘fraternal correction’ and turned it on its ear to be more like ‘fraternal collusion’ to serve their own interests, rather than protecting children. Others have argued that they need a break from this scandal, but taking a break is not a luxury afforded either survivors or lay Catholics. The Bishops must approve and fund a multi-year plan for annual audits of every diocese in the country as a part of rebuilding trust in their leadership.”

Voice of the Faithful launched a petition drive asking concerned citizens to sign petitions calling for Bishop accountability on February 27th, the day that the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the National Review Board released their reports on the scope of clergy sexual abuse and the environmental causes of it. These petitions call on the Pope to meet with survivors and to hold Bishops responsible; on the Bishops to disclose details of their oversight role in the transfer of abusive clergy; and on the Bishops to cooperate with civil authorities to investigate both clergy sexual abuse crimes and incidents of negligence or cover-up by those responsible for overseeing perpetrators.

“In 2002, the Bishops said in the Preamble to the Charter, ‘we pledge ourselves to act in a way that manifests our accountability to God, to his people, and to one another in this grave matter,’” said Krueger. “The petitions we are presenting to the Bishops demonstrate that Catholics lack confidence in the hierarchal leadership and their belief that they have already been accountable for covering up clergy sexual abuse for 5 decades. They are not in a legitimate position to determine their own accountability. Rather, it is in the eyes of the beholder - it is ordinary Catholics like the people who signed our petitions.”

Voice of the Faithful, along with the survivor organizations SNAP, recently called for the U.S. Bishops to open their national meeting to public scrutiny and participation. Voice of the Faithful believes that openness and “sunlight” is necessary to begin the process of re-establishing the credibility of the Bishops, and has repeatedly called for greater transparency from the Catholic Church’s leadership in the United States.

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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 203 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.