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Please
send comments and inquiries to pthorp.ed@votf.org.
"In
almost twenty years of counseling hundreds of victims
of sexual abuse by priests, I can say that the first
thing each wanted was to be understood, to be believed,
to be nurtured by their church. Not one victim thought
first of filing a lawsuit " SNAP Philadelphia
quoting Fr. Tom Doyle as the recent legislative win
for protecting children moves toward law in
Pennsylvania.
In
this Issue:
NATIONAL
News Update: Accountability
Campaign Advent
reflection; VOTF National Representative
Council pushes
for disclosure of clergy abuse
cases submitted to Vatican.
DIOCESE/State
Watch:
Philadelphia,
PA – Despite the hard work of
the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference to defeat
Senate Bill 1054, the House passed S.B. 1054
by a vote of 191-1. Gov. Rendell expects to sign
it into law making its passage a huge win for
protecting children; New York, NY/Erie,
PA – secret trial is over but
the claimant is talking. He refused to sign a
statement of confidentiality; Wilmington,
Delaware – VOTF Coastal Delmarva
is encouraged by the recent “step forward” in
the Diocese of Wilmington, which has released
the names of diocesan priests accused of sexually
abusing children; the diocesan action prompted
the O’Connell family to remove Bishop Saltarelli’s
name from their pending lawsuit; Los
Angeles, CA – once again, what
did they know and when did they know it? Questions
are mounting around sexual abuse allegations
a month before parents were notified by the Los
Angeles Archdiocese; Burlington, VT – an
archdiocesan attorney has stepped down amid claims
that he “hid” Church documents during
a clergy sexual abuse case; Rockville
Center, NY – Newsday reported
the arrest of a priest on child pornography charges.
SNAP’s David Clohessy says, “Like
so many others, this case shows that the Catholic
church's sex abuse scandal is far from over.”
Commentaries
:
Book
Review on David Gibson’s The
Rule of Benedict; SITE-Seeing,
Etc. has lots to think about from
Tom Doyle, America magazine, the
Gloucester News, and more.
VOTF “Cards”: A “Thank
you!” to Susan Troy as the founding chair
of VOTF Prayerful Voice resigns; and “Get
Well!” to Fr. Jim Sullivan, VOTF Rockaway,
NY.
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SITE-Seeing,
Etc.
Visit SNAP’s website for “What
to Do When Your Priest is Accused of Abuse."
The
Winchester, MA Area VOTF is again selling Christmas
cards this year. All proceeds benefit abuse survivors.
For further information, contact Bob Morris at rmrorisvotf@aol.com.
The Winchester Area VOTF also wishes to thank the VOTF
group at St. Theresa's in Harvard, MA for volunteering
to sell cards at their church.
Don’t forget to write! – to pthorp.ed@votf.org:
What do you think of the following?
- Many
readers have asked for information about the
bishops’ recent statement on the reception
of Eucharist. That statement is available at
the USCCB
website;
- The
Nov. 30 issue of America magazine featured
a commentary by Fr. Curry on the current state
of the Church “The best and worst of times”;
- Read
Fr. Tom Doyle’s new comments on the abuse
crisis “Reflections
on Clergy Abuse: Where We Are Today.”;
- Eileen
Ford (VOTF Cape Ann, MA) is worth reading in
the Gloucester
Times “The power of good example." (See
excerpt from Quote for our Time).
- Watch
for the new movie “The Nativity” – exceptionally
well done and a worthy holiday respite. Visit thenativitystory.com for
special screenings information (your parish,
perhaps?) and other details.
Something
to think/talk about: As VOTF approaches the
fifth anniversary of our 2002 founding, it is rewarding
to re-visit some of the papers submitted for the
July 2002 convention in Boston. Visit votf.org and
let us know what still resonates with you – write
to pthorp.ed@votf.org.
QUOTE
for our time:
”The collateral damage of the crisis includes good priests and faithful
Catholics disgusted and disillusioned by bishops who continue to defy rational
rules that govern the rest of us. Those who disagreed with church teachings left
a long time ago. It's the hypocrisy of the hierarchy that continues to drive
people away from the church today. If the hierarchy understood the power of good
example and the limitations of dictatorial arrogance, churches would be overflowing
each Sunday.” Excerpt from Eileen Ford commentary in the Gloucester
Times.
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