Press Releases

As Pope Francis’s commission studying the possibility of restoring women deacons continues its work, FutureChurch and Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) urge U.S. Catholic Bishops to publicly support the restoration of the ancient practice of ordaining women deacons and to petition the Holy See to allow women to function in our Church as permanent deacons. 

Jan. 10, 2017 – Four U.S. Catholic bishops have reached retirement age and five more will in 2017, and their dioceses await word about who their next bishop will be. The stakes are high. Bishops rule in their dioceses.

In this first week of a new year, Voice of the Faithful reflects.

Voice of the Faithful, a community of Roman Catholics committed to service and reform, has always sought to “Keep the Faith, Change the Church.” We are faithful Catholics seeking to change those Church structures and processes that impede lay voices and change Church cultures that exhibit a clericalism that separates the clerical from the lay rather than binding them pastorally and collegially.

BOSTON, Mass., Sept. 16, 2016 – Pundits were once again this week debating the effectiveness of Pope Francis’ Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, as news spread that commission members have been speaking with new bishops and Vatican offices about child protection best practices. Voice of the Faithful believes this action is another step in the slow progress of Francis’ papacy toward dealing with the clergy sexual abuse scandal, while not yet the substantial steps needed.

BOSTON, Mass., July 27, 2016 – A recipient of a grant from the Voice of the Faithful Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Church has settled her discrimination suit against Fordham University after six years of litigation in what, she says, may be the first settlement without a confidentiality agreement in Fordham’s history.

BOSTON, Mass., Jun. 7, 2016 – Pope Francis has issued new rules for bishop accountability that give the Voice of the Faithful Church reform movement hope that accountability for cover-ups may at last be applied.

BOSTON, Mass., May 12, 2016 – Pope Francis may soon initiate a commission to study ordaining women as deacons in the Catholic Church, according to media reports today. Equality of women in the Church has long been an issue with Church reform movement Voice of the Faithful, which would welcome such a commission.

The critically acclaimed movie “Spotlight” received the Best Picture Oscar Feb. 28. The film about how The Boston Globe investigated and brought to light clergy sexual abuse of children and its coverup in the Archdiocese of Boston has brought renewed awareness to the scandal worldwide.

But many Catholics have had a heightened sense of the crisis all along. Some of those Catholics – determined to remain faithful while addressing the scandal – formed Voice of the Faithful only a couple of months after the Globe’s sensational January 2002 story appeared.

BOSTON, Mass., Dec. 8, 2015 – Catholic Church reform movement Voice of the Faithful applauds the Archdiocese of Boston’s parish “Offertory Collection Controls Initiative,” which helps make sure Sunday donations make it to the bank. The pilot project was initiated in Brockton, Mass., in July. “It’s been a long time coming – more than 25 years by my counting,” said VOTF member Michael Ryan.