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SITE-Seeing,
Etc.
Other
gatherings: Sept. 22 – VOTF West Hartford
CT will host their second state-wide gathering. This
year’s theme is “VOTF: Agent for Change.” The
keynote speaker will be Tom Gallagher, a former parish
trustee and Wall Street securities lawyer from Riverside,
CT. His topic will be “Promoting Parish Governance
by the Laity: A Legislative Approach.” For
additional information, contact Jayne O’Donnell
at jaynedIrish@yahoo.com.
- Call
to Action will hold its annual conference
in Milwaukee WI on Nov. 2-4, 2007. For details, click
here. Register by Sept. 15 and receive
a discount.
There
are letters to the editor and then there are LETTERS
to the editor. One letter to the New York Times (July
29) caught our eye. Msgr. Harry Byrne of the Archdiocese
of New York wrote: “Canon 1389 states that one
in authority who performs or omits an act of governance
to the harm of another can be punished by removal.
The bishops shielded themselves from accountability
in their Dallas Charter of June 2002, formulated to
protect young people in the future. Quick action to
remove an abuser was rightly promised. But not a word
was said about any bishop who in the future would secretly
reassign an abuser. It was precisely these reassignments
that exponentially multiplied the abuse and damage
to children.”
- Subscribers
can access the full text of the letter at nytimes.com.
While you’re there, read VOTF members Ed
and Anne Wilson’s letter, just above the
Byrne letter.
- VOTF
Representative Pat Gomez provides this
link for a little Canon Law study
AUSTRALIA
in the news: The Commonweal blog and
several newsgroups (Google identifies nearly 65,000
references) have noted Australian Bishop
Geoffrey Robinson’s new book Confronting
Power and Sex in the Catholic Church. The
bishop, a canon lawyer, helped develop the Church’s
sex abuse policy and has criticized compulsory
celibacy for priests and Catholic teachings on
sex, while calling for reforms that would strengthen
the authority of local churches at the expense
of the Vatican.
- Tablet
coverage for subscribers is available
here.
- For
additional coverage click
here.
- Australia’s
Bishop Pat Powers is supporting a Petition to the
Australian Catholic Bishops. The Petition calls
for discussion of the priesthood and the role of
women in the Church. Read Bishop Power’s letter
of support.
- See
what else is happening “down under.” Go
to VOTF Australia's website.
Synods
are in the air:
- VOTF
Northern California provides
a report on an inspirational Lay
Synod held in San Francisco in June;
- National
Catholic Reporter has recent
coverage of “synods by and
for the folks in the pews.” ;
- FutureChurch
is working to raise awareness at the October
2008 “Synod on the Word” about
the invisibility of women’s biblical leadership
and preaching. The organization is offering some
armchair activism on behalf of a lay voice for
the agenda that is now in the works. For more information, click
here.
- Additional
information on the Synod “Lineamenta” is available
here. For a brief overview of synods,
the function of a “lineamenta” and
a chronology of next steps and deadline for
input on the Synod (November), click
here.
The
September 4 issue of the New York Times makes
yet another case for vigilance on behalf of children.
Referencing the Buffalo NY archdiocese case, “Despite
New Church Rules, Sex Abuse in Catholic School Went
Unreported” quotes SNAP director David Clohessy: “One
shouldn’t, but might, tolerate some backsliding
or carelessness decades after these promises were made,
but certainly not just months after.’’ NYT
subscribers can read the full story at the nytimes.com. |
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Office
Note: Looking for meaningful volunteer work?
The VOTF National office can help! We have a menu of
opportunities. Please call Millie Seaborn at 617-558-5252
or email at mseaborn@votf.org. |
| For
an overview of press coverage of VOTF, click
here. |
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of the Faithful 2007.All Rights Reserved |
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