Action

In the Vineyard: Jan. 27, 2012

dbdoucette — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:02:54 -0800

Press Release For Immediate release

votfpr — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:32:35 -0800

Voice of the Faithful National Statement -- Catholic Church Reform Movement Voice of the Faithful Cautions Hierarchy

votfpr — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:29:03 -0800

World's Catholic Church leaders meet at Rome Symposium on Clergy Sexual Abuse Feb. 6

NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 24, 2012 -- The Roman Catholic Church has yet to develop an effective worldwide response to clergy child sexual abuse, even though widespread abuse was evident by the mid-1990s, exploded into crisis in the United States in 2002 and in the past few years has proven to be epidemic around the world. Church leaders worldwide will attend a symposium in Rome Feb. 6 to discuss such a response.

Voice of the Faithful cautions Church leaders that the time has come, and indeed is long past, not only for creating appropriate responses to abuse allegations in every diocese worldwide, but also for ending the secrecy and coverups that so exacerbate the crimes. Transparency and accountability are essential.

“Towards Healing and Renewal: A Symposium for Catholic Bishops and Religious Superiors on Sexual Abuse of Minors” is expected to draw delegates from 110 bishops’ conferences and superiors of 30 religious orders internationally.

Their goal in part will be to share “practical wisdom” of “experts in the fields of psychology, canon law, theology, and pastoral ministry” in order to promote a consistent, global response by the Church to reports of sexual abuse and to structure child protection policies. In this, the symposium points toward the May 2012 deadline for dioceses worldwide to develop guidelines for handling child abuse allegations.

The Vatican is right to bring worldwide attention and focus on this growing and continuing scandal that ruins lives and wounds the Church so deeply. The Vatican is right to seek a worldwide response to the enormous task of handling sexual abuse allegations amidst Church communities with such cultural, theological, sociological and governmental diversity. But the Vatican’s failure before now to look for global solutions and hold bishops accountable and the bishops’ actions in keeping abuse allegations secret leave VOTF without confidence that adequate guidelines will be forthcoming.

VOTF and other organizations and individuals that put children above institutional image will be watching closely for what comes from the symposium and May deadline.

Voice of the Faithful

Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and increase the laity’s role in governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at http://www.votf.org.

Contact:

Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

In the Vineyard: Jan. 13, 2012

dbdoucette — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:41:05 -0800

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National Statement -- After 10 Years of Clergy Sexual Abuse Headlines Voice of the Faithful Sees No Certainty Children Are Safe

votfpr — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:28:07 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 5, 2012 – More than 130 people had come forward to tell their stories of childhood sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priest Fr. John Geoghan, reported The Boston Globe on Jan. 6, 2002. Over the next decade, around the world and as recently as last month in The Netherlands, came revelations that thousands of Catholic priests had abused tens of thousands of children in the last half of the 20th Century.

Voice of the Faithful, comprising thousands of concerned mainstream Catholics, has dedicated the last decade to supporting survivors and conscientious priests and trying to change Church structure and governance to help prevent scandals like child sexual abuse.

“Sadly, in spite of the Church hierarchy’s numerous apologies to survivors and wide variety of mandated programs, we cannot be sure our children are safe,” says Mark Mullaney, incoming president during VOTF’s 10th anniversary year.

First, Mullaney points out, the Church’s agencies for reporting and handling sexual abuse allegations are not independent of Church control or influence and their processes are not transparent. Second, the Church has not censured or removed any official or bishop discovered to have been involved in keeping clergy sexual abuse secret or to have transferred accused abusers instead of removing them immediately from ministry.

The Church deserves credit for enormous strides in improving its vigilance of child sexual abuse, and attitudes have changed dramatically, according to Mullaney.

“But the Church has been implicated in stealing the innocence of thousands of children, irreparably ruining the lives of most of them,” he says. “VOTF will continue its struggle until the Church does at least two things. First, improves child protection guidelines to mandate specific disciplinary action for violations. Second, makes diocesan review audits more effective by ensuring unrestricted access to personnel files and complete independence of auditing agencies.”

Mullaney adds, “When it comes to the Church’s abuses, the Church hierarchy has been like the proverbial broken record. The record has been playing for 10 years now. Our firm desire is that it stops now.”

Voice of the Faithful

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org

Press Release For Immediate release

votfpr — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:33:59 -0800

In the Vineyard: December 30, 2011

dbdoucette — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:56:19 -0800

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In the Vineyard: December 16, 2011

dbdoucette — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:28:53 -0800

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Press Release For Immediate release

votfpr — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:28:17 -0800

Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Catholic Church Awards $5,000 to Former Michigan Teacher

votfpr — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:17:35 -0800

NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 21, 2011 – A Michigan teacher fired from her position at a Catholic elementary school has been awarded $5,000 in the fourth round of grants from the Voice of the Faithful’s Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Church. These grants support women who have lost employment in the Catholic Church because of injustice or discrimination.

The Emily & Rosemary Fund grant review committee determined Linda Bohlinger, Oscoda, Mich., presented material in her grant application that indicated she was wrongfully terminated from Holy Family Catholic School in East Tawas, Mich. Written comments in Bohlinger’s record, for example, did not agree with her positive numerical performance scores and her work history did not appear to warrant losing her job. At the time she had been a teacher for 24 years.

In response to a disciplinary letter removed from her employment history and later put back into her file, Bohlinger wrote, “I have never had a write up, I have never had a complaint from a parent, I rarely need a substitute, I feel I need to defend myself and have been blindsided by this disciplinary action.” The disciplinary report included four alleged incidents within three months of 2009, and Bohlinger’s contract was not renewed for 2010. She had been at the school for four years.

Bohlinger said she will use her grant to continue her education and start a Spanish immersion tutoring business to help meet the educational needs in her rural community. “We applaud your plans to share your gifts with Spanish-speaking communities,” the review committee said in its award letter. “The review committee is pleased to provide you this funding, and we hope that it will assist in getting you started in a new educational direction.”

“The Emily & Rosemary Fund grants provide women with an opportunity for redress,” said Dan Bartley, VOTF president, “and the grants actually are funded by a woman who was callously wronged by her Church employers.”

Lynette Petruska, formerly a Roman Catholic nun and now a St. Louis attorney, established the Emily & Rosemary Fund in 2009. The fund helps support women who lose employment in the Roman Catholic Church as a result of injustice or discrimination and also supports women who are working to bring about justice and equality in the Church. Petruska said she experienced injustice and discrimination after opposing sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct by priests at Gannon University, Erie, Penn., where she was appointed the first female chaplain in 1999.

Emily & Rosemary Fund for Women in the Church grants are awarded in October and April. Grant applications are available at http://www.votf.org. Completed applications are accepted by e-mail at office@votf.org.

Voice of the Faithful

Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and shape structural change within the Church. More information is at http://www.votf.org.

Contact:
Nick Ingala, 781-559-3360, 617-291-3495 Cell, nickingala@votf.org