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

For Immediate Release

Voice of the Faithful Respond to U.S. Bishops’ Announcement to Fulfill Pledge to Authorize Second Round of Audits

Catholics Express Both Relief and Concern about Bishops’ Accountability and their Policies to Protect Children

Statement by Steve Krueger, Executive Director of Voice of the Faithful

June 16, 2004 – Newton, Mass. – We commend those U.S. Catholic Bishops who understand the necessity of the audits and who spoke out in support of honoring the commitments they made in 2002, prior to the conference in Denver. However, the unnecessary concern of the past few months regarding the authorization of the second round of audits has been counterproductive for the Bishops, who should be doing everything in their power to rebuild the trust and credibility they have lost. In the past several weeks, Voice of the Faithful members across the country held forums, talks, and vigils calling for accountability of Bishops. This public pressure was essential to remind the Bishops of their promises to protect children.

We are relieved, for the sake of the safety of children in Catholic parishes around the country, that a second round of audits will be undertaken. It is unfortunate that no mention was made of the 52 recommendations that were made by the Office of Child and Youth Protection last January. Those recommendations are necessary for these audits to be taken seriously as credible and comprehensive – especially with regard to reorienting the process so that these audits are truly independent, and are not merely self-reports on existing policies. Furthermore, we hope that the Bishops, as part of this year’s audit, will take seriously their obligation to meet with members of the survivor community, including the major organizations that represent thousands of survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

We hope, also, that the Bishops will understand the necessity to make permanent a program of independent, credible audits and an independent National Review Board as agents of accountability and transparency. The Bishops have suggested that this topic will be revisited in the future – lay Catholics, survivors, and the clergy should not have to live with this uncertainty for another year.

In 2002, the Bishops passed the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, in which they pledged their intention to be accountable for the abuses of five decades. The Bishops must continue to use their moral voice to address the systemic problems facing the Catholic Church today. If they backslide on the promises they made in 2002, they will have no hope of regaining the trust of the public, lay men and women, or the survivor community.

//end

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.