VOTF - In the Vineyard

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In the Vineyard
February 2004

“You could not watch with me one hour?” Mt 26:40

Voice of the Faithful began in January 2002 with a question asked all over the world – how could this happen? How could our children have been victimized for decades by priests and knowing bishops? Where were we?

The struggle to address these questions and arrive at answers we can live with makes up VOTF’s goals and work.

That the USCCB produced a “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" and “Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons” was one welcome response to what befell the Roman Catholic Church in 2002. That the Audit summary on the implementation of the Charter indicates near total compliance with the bishops’ own criteria might also be hopeful. But if we pay attention to SNAP, The Linkup and SurvivorsFirst.org, we have a clearer understanding of what’s missing in self-grading. As one survivor put it, “Putting something in place that you said you were going to put in place doesn’t tell me what you’re going to do with it, how you’re going to treat it.” And another, “What happens to the guilty – offenders are being ‘handled’ but when do the bishops answer for what they did?” It isn’t lost on many observers that the criteria for the USCCB scrutiny were determined by the very people who covered up the abuse of children for decades – bishops. One look at www.bishopaccountability.org will delineate more clearly just what survivors are talking about.

Perhaps the most painful moment in this crisis will arrive on February 27 when the USCCB National Review Board releases the John Jay College of Criminal Justice “Study of the Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy in the United States.” American Catholics will see the glaring truth reduced to numbers. It is the beginning of addressing where we go from here. And it is the beginning of knowing precisely where we are. Catholics cannot afford to ask again – Where were we? The driving vision of VOTF is to ensure that our Church will never again hurt a child and that the laity will be key players in that assurance. How else might we hope to arrive at a commitment to “communio,” as USCCB president Bishop Wilton Gregory has said? To lay people, genuine communion begins with openness and depends on accountability. We believe this case has been made and will be reinforced on February 27.

Many readers will be making a case for their own voice; we’d like to hear from you. We invite your comments and/or questions on the study’s findings as you digest them. We encourage dialogue in your parishes and we promise a comprehensive consideration of the study’s message for Catholics in forthcoming issues of In the Vineyard as well as on our Web site at www.votf.org. In this issue, we offer a special section of background information and perspectives worth considering.

And if you need a jump-start? As a pre-Lenten exercise, consider Jesus’ question, above, and ask yourself with us – Where was I? Know how many fellow Catholics were right beside you. And know, as VOTF president Jim Post has said repeatedly in the past two years, “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Peggie L. Thorp, Ed.

In this Issue:

Special Section – preparing for February 27 National Review Board release of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice “Study of the Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy in the United States.” VOTF Officers Jim Post, Kris Ward, Sr. Betsy Conway and Ann Carroll share their perspectives on the importance of the upcoming 2/27 study release. Read More.
Survivor Community – A survivor gives thanks; Jim Post’s “takes” from the successful “Fireside Chat” that featured SNAP’s David Clohessy, the Linkup’s Sue Archibald, author Jason Berry, survivor advocate Fr. Tom Doyle and psychotherapist and author Richard Sipe; The Lighthouse lives! See update.
Council minutes - 193 parish affiliates, including those in British Columbia, New Zealand and Tasmania. What else is new? Read more.
Letters to Editor – One writer argues for lay persistence and another for financial accountability; another observes, “… the Reformation started just because indulgences were being sold. This is much worse.”
National Working Groups – Prayerful Voice looks ahead to a postponed Spirituality conference; Voice of Renewal is setting up a listserv; Structural Change Working Group invites you to its parish pastoral council survey.
Events, Etc. – Jim Post speaking coast to coast; this month’s Best Practices choice goes to “Putting Muscle into Parish Councils” in Hingham, MA; author David France to speak in Winchester on Feb. 21.
Affiliate News – Chair of Parish Voices Mary Ann Keyes reports on travel; Saanich Peninsula VOTF loses a member; Cleveland, OH VOTF newsletter VOTF Perspectives makes its debut.
Another bishop resigns in the wake of abuse accusations - Bishop Dupre of Springfield, MA. Watch the VOTF Web site for developing news
Working with Church leadership to effect structural change – VOTF Washington, DC offers an impressive chronology (Voices, Voices Everywhere!)
“We have urgent questions about whether the bishops, whose actions horrify us even more than those of the pederasts, will be held accountable in any credible way.” Read “Task for the Next Church Council” by Fr. Raymond G. Helmick, S.J., reprinted with permission. The article appeared in Human Development Magazine, September 29, 2003 Vol. 189 no. 9. What Do You Think?
Prayer of the Month – a survivor’s “Benediction”
Need a speaker at your affiliate? Check out David France, author of Our Fathers – The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal. His book tour itinerary is available through former VOTF press secretary Mike Emerton at jmemerton@comcast.net. Excerpts from David’s book are on the SNAP web site at www.snapnetwork.org.
If you attended the VOTF convention in 2002, you will remember Francine Cardman, theology professor at Weston Jesuit School of Theology. Her message, “Pay Attention to How You Listen” resonates still. Francine spoke at the Paulist Center, Boston, MA on Feb. 10. This time, Francine took on “Participation, Power and the People of God: Becoming The Church.” Read more in our March issue.
Need some VOTF buttons and/or bumper stickers? It’s a great way to use your voice. Call the graphic artists who designed our logo - the Healys can be reached at 508-866-5931.
Ever the epi-center, Boston, MA is facing a troubling number of parish closings as are and will many dioceses throughout the country. The “VOTF Statement on Parish Closings in the Boston Archdiocese” and “Church Closings and Diocesan Finances Financial Implications: A Boston Overview” make thoughtful reading for Catholics everywhere. Also, Mary Ann Keyes uncovered a site that offers a good picture of parishes’ work loads. http://www.rcab.org/Parish_Reconfiguration/PastoralStats2003.html
Black and white ribbons are catching on. The survivor-generated idea to mark the courage of survivors has spread from Alabama to New Hampshire. Supporters are asked to wear them during Lent and on Easter. Ribbons are available online at www.thefirstsiteonline.com.
That we might meet the release of the NRB’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice Study with as much understanding as possible, VOTF offers the following links for background information and education.
- www.usccb.org – Read the Charter, Norms and Audit summaries
- www.snapnetwork.org and www.thelinkup.org offer survivor perspectives and analyses
- www.cin.org – the Catholic Information Network lists all of the documents of Vatican II. Click on “Documents” and select The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium); also, the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity.
- www.bishopaccountability.org – tracks the facts on bishops’ past and present handling of clergy sexual abuse of young people
- VOTF Officers Jim Post, Kris Ward, Sr. Betsy Conway and Ann Carroll share their perspective on the importance of the 2/27 study releas:
  VOTF Officers Address the Import of the
  John Jay College of Criminal Justice Study
  VOTF president Jim Post
  On February 27, 2004, the USCCB National Review Board will release the John Jay College of Criminal Justice “Study of the Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy in the United States.” This "50 year retrospective study" will aggregate data from every diocese in the United States. It is likely to be the most comprehensive report to date of national statistics related to the clergy sexual abuse scandal. The report is expected to include new estimates of:
  - The number of priests against whom allegations have been made;
  - The number of victim/survivors; and
  - The amount of money spent by dioceses to settle sexual abuse cases.
  It is widely expected that the numbers will be greater – perhaps much greater – than any previous estimates. Voice of the Faithful must prepare for the release of this report in several ways.
  - We are recruiting a national team to shape our response to the report;
  - We will be developing national and local communications plans for February 27th;
  - We want to actively work with affiliates to develop follow-up action plans (e.g., healing services, survivor support actions, dialogue initiatives, calls for accountability, and more).
  In creating a team of affiliate volunteers and national office staff to shape our response to the John Jay study, we are seeking volunteers from across the country to create a team of affiliate volunteers alongside National office staff to assist in this effort. If you, or someone from your affiliate, are willing to take an active role in shaping and implementing this effort, please contact VOTF Vice President, Kristine Ward at krward@votf.org.
  We need your assistance to help all Catholics, and all Americans, understand the magnitude and implications of this information. The potential significance of this report cannot be overstated.
  Fifty years of cultural and administrative practice will be revealed in the John Jay Report. The credibility of our Church as an institution and as a repository of values will be challenged. Our challenge is to find ways to discern and incorporate the lessons of this terrible and tragic crisis into the living Church of the 21st century. As one member recently said, this entire experience must be about "prayer and practice." This is an opportunity to put faith into action.
  Please remember that even if every action taken by the bishops, clergy, and laity works perfectly, and no child is ever again abused in the Catholic Church, survivors of abuse will be living in our midst for decades to come. It is entirely possible that some of the youngest victims, who are only in their teens today, will live to see the twenty-second century.
  Thank you for your assistance and commitment to this important effort.
  VOTF vice-president Kris Ward
  February 27 is a day for us to bear witness.
  It will be a painful day for us and for all of the Church. Its litany of numbers will stand surrogate for the lives touched, altered, weakened and lost because of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy.
  It will be a day of lamentation throughout the land. We and all of the Church will have to look squarely at the ugliness and sorrow of the aggregate toll of crimes hidden for 50 years. It will be like looking at the crucifixion.
  We cannot allow a yearning to rush to the powerful central tenet of our faith, the Resurrection, to tear us away from looking at the horror of the crucifixion. The numbers will tell a dreadful story. Like those who sat opposite the closed tomb on Good Friday and endured through that long Saturday before the first Easter Sunday, Voice of the Faithful first bears witness. Then, we must be clear to the bishops and to all of our Church this tragedy in our times cannot be boxed and shelved on February 28 because it is judged finished and fixed.
  Voice of the Faithful pushes out into the deep where the Lord tells us not to be afraid. It will take the voices, prayer and action of all our affiliates – those formed, those forming, and those to come – to anchor the call for accountability and to build from the ashes of falseness a Church of truth and trust.
  VOTF secretary Sr. Betsy Conway
  Even before the John Jay report is released we know already the devastation we have experienced within the Church as the abuse and the cover up have been revealed. We know already that the Church is not well. As when a family member is not well, you do everything in your power to make things better. The report may overwhelm us once again. But rather than feel powerless we must do everything that is in our power to make things better. That is our call as people of faith.
  I know that what we can no longer be is silent and passive. I believe that we are called to be Christ's voice and hands and feet – more visibly, more audibly and more prayerfully.
  We have platforms for action in place within VOTF working groups and among the affiliates; we have the resources to educate ourselves; we know that many may feel powerless – the survivors, many priests and the laity – and we know we must continue to reach out to all of these and each other.
  I pray for wisdom and courage for all that is ahead of us!
  VOTF treasurer Ann Carroll
  I await the release of the John Jay report with trepidation. It is anticipated that the John Jay report will confirm what many of us have already begun to learn: The crisis in Boston can not be dismissed as an isolated event; the abuse of children and the subsequent cover-up by the hierarchy occurred on a massive scale.
  I dread seeing, in black and white, that thousands of children were victimized. I’m also concerned that, because the report will show only summarized totals (and not, diocese by diocese, nor parish by parish information), some might gloss over the obvious: These are not some faceless statistics, they are about people’s lives. And in addition to every victim/survivor counted in the report, there are tens of thousands of parents, spouses, children, friends, relatives, etc. whose lives have also been inexorably affected.
  An agonizing consideration in all this is how many children might have been spared, if only our bishops had behaved differently. How is it possible that these men, disciples of Christ, could have thought secrecy and cover-up rather than the protection of children, was their pastoral mission?
  As we know from Fr. Tom Doyle, (winner of VOTF’s Priest of Integrity Award at the July 2002 convention), by the mid-1980s the bishops were well aware of the crisis, yet it appears very little was done. In the past two years there has been significant progress, as evidenced by the adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and the creation of the National Review Board. But merely having processes and policies in place does not create change -- there must be an unremitting willingness to bring it about. Has the culture of the hierarchy changed sufficiently?
  Will truth and justice resonate in bishops’ words on February 27? More important, will the actions they take be commensurate with the profound harm that was done?
  It seems fitting that the report will be released on the first Friday in Lent. Lent is a time of penance and sorrow, and certainly there will be much to grieve on February 27. During Lent, I hope all Catholics will take the time to talk to their friends, relatives and neighbors about the John Jay Report. As you reflect on what has transpired, consider whether the words and actions to date have been sufficient, or is this a case where the magnitude of the tragedy calls out for greater action? And if greater action is justified, what will each of us commit to doing, in fulfillment of our baptismal promises, to bring about the change that is needed?
  
  Survivor Community
  A letter of thanks from survivor Christine Hickey, written at the end of 2003:
  Dear Friends,
  As this year draws to a close, I want to express my gratitude.
  It amazes me that I have come to meet and value so many courageous and caring people in the past couple of years. Prior to 2002, I had told only a few close friends about having been abused by a priest. Having since learned about the abuse of thousands of others, as well as the magnitude of the cover-up, I have been rocked with a variety of emotions. But today, gratitude and renewed sense of hope prevail in my heart.
  Thank you for making a positive difference in the world. You have demonstrated courage and love in many ways: by expressing your outrage at a protest; quietly listening to a victim's pain; making a phone call to say I am concerned about you; praying at a vigil; sending an e-mail message of encouragement; telling your story publicly; asking for the help, which you deserve; openly expressing the pain and confusion of Catholics who have been so betrayed; speaking out for your child who is unable to do so; holding a sign in the cold for hours; meditating in front of the chancery; building a website; holding press conferences to keep the public informed; conducting research for countless hours; fundraising; reporting on the story with integrity and fairness; representing clients in their lawsuits against the church with tireless dedication; filing a suit against a powerful institution; testifying at the state house; writing articles and producing films that resulted in reflection and discussion; and many other acts of courage, large and tiny, which shed light on the problem and brought light into the darkness.
  I am honored to know all of you. Though we have not always been graceful or articulate, and have battled each other at times, we have told the truth and have dealt with the consequences. It is certainly not "over," but we should be proud of what we have accomplished thus far.
  We talk about "healing" often. I am pleased to report that going through the recent arbitration process has been quite healing for me. It was an excruciatingly difficult experience; but I have been left with a sense of compassion for myself, which is new. Perhaps I should not say "but." It is precisely the act of going through these painful experiences that results in healing. (Of course, I have many thoughts on the entire settlement process, but today I want to focus on the positive and on gratitude.)
  Telling my story to the judge at my hearing (with complete honesty and without concern for how others would view me) allowed me to see myself with new eyes. I understood, for the first time, that I have no reason to be ashamed of my life. I have known that intellectually, but that realization had not yet found its way into my soul. For the first time in my life, I am comprehending that I am indeed worthy of the love which has been offered to me. (Gee, what a concept!)
  Thank you all for that gift.
  Without SNAP, Survivors First, VOTF, CCS, responsible members of the media, and everyone else who has been involved, I would be feeling alone with the knowledge and consequences of being raped by a priest. Some of you are close friends now, others of you I have only met through e-mail or the phone. Yet each one of you has had an impact in my life, and in many lives.
  There have been many times during the past two years when I have been paralyzed with sadness, panic, and fear. I sometimes felt that the evil was larger than the goodness; I did not know how to make sense of it all. Thank you for reminding me that even in the most overwhelmingly difficult situations, acts of love and kindness exist. Thank you for showing me that there is always hope. Thank you for being patient, and not giving up on me, when I was unable to respond to your many offers of support. In the future, when I am struggling (as I expect I will be!), I will cherish the valuable lessons learned.
  Because of you, the world is a bit safer for our children. Hold that in your heart.
  Wishing you serenity and joy in the New Year, with respect and love,
  Christine Hickey
  
  PRAYER OF THE MONTH
  Benediction for Boston
  (Meditation on Numbers 6:24-26)
  by Belinda Martinez*
  May the Lord protect you from your nightmares.
  May the Lord defend you from your fears.
  May the One who made you walk beside you.
  May the One who sees you dry your tears.
  May the Lord be by your side in sorrow.
  May graciousness from Heaven make you smile.
  May the face of Yahweh shine upon you,
  Dispelling darkness you have known a while.
  May the Lord shed mercy in abundance.
  May you lift your face to meet God's gaze.
  May solace tuck you in and guard your slumber.
  May confidence be yours for all your days.
  No longer will they lead into temptation.
  Cast off all your worries, guilt and shame.
  No anonymity allowed in Heaven.
  It's there that "everybody knows your name."
  Entrust yourselves now to each other.
  Be well! You have but just a single chance.
  Do not detract from graces in your keeping.
  But by your grace, seek only to enhance.
  May God carve into sand your darkest secrets,
  That waves may wash away the hurt you've known.
  Then may the Greatest Giver carve your comfort,
  And hope, and joy, and health, and love in stone.
  No need to bow your head for benediction.
  Look up instead, and see what's yet to be.
  May Yahweh bless you now and ever after.
  And may the Lord bring peace to you and me.
  * Belinda is from Minnesota. She wrote this poem specifically for the "Fireside Chat" recently held in Wellesley, MA. See www.survivorsfirst.org for details on this enormously successful event.
  
  Lighthouse Update
  Reported by Steve Sheehan
  On January 11, 2004, a meeting was held at the YMCA in Quincy, MA, with 333 advocates and survivors in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to explore the feasibility of continuing The Lighthouse in operation and to determine what reorganization might be appropriate.
  The office in East Boston was closed on December 31, 2003, as it was deemed neither necessary nor economically appropriate to maintain a physical location that required a monthly expenditure of $900.00 for rent and utilities.
  The sense of the meeting was that The Lighthouse should continue as a concept, in order to provide a unique interface between the survivor community and the supporter/advocates. While some present expressed some concern that The Lighthouse overlapped the functions of other existing agencies, the majority believed that these concerns were being addressed and that the value and importance of this interface justified the ongoing commitment to support the victim/survivors by providing a safe connection for them to come forward and receive support, suggestions and referrals without having to rely on a church-based office. Survivors present supported the concept and expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to associate, and interact with the advocates on a personal basis, which does not happen in other agencies.
  It was felt that meetings could be held periodically (monthly, perhaps) to bring the survivors and advocates together to promote a sense of community. Meetings would be held from time to time at varied locations to facilitate availability to a large number of survivors.
  The next meeting will be held again in Quincy on February 8 to discuss specific plans for reorganization to include election/selection of new officers and directors. These would facilitate future operations (five of the members present volunteered to serve as directors), and to establish specific goals and a mission statement for the organization. The mission and goals will be kept consistent with the relationship of The Lighthouse to other support groups such as SNAP and The Linkup.
  This information will be updated monthly. Any and all suggestions. questions and/or comments are appreciated and should be referred to Steve Sheehan at sheehan1777@aol.com.
  
  Minutes SUMMARY
  Voice of the Faithful Representative Council Meeting
  Saturday, January 17, 2003
  St. John the Evangelist School Hall, Wellesley, MA
  Moderator Frances O’Leary opened the meeting at 10:40 a.m. After Bob Snowber led us in an Opening Prayer, Fran introduced Ruth Burns, new Council member, St. Paul Parish Voice, Wellesley, MA; and Mary Ellen Siudut, returning Council member, Natick, MA, Parish Voice Affiliate.
  Announcements
  John Hynes, organizing committee member for the VOTF Boston Council, announced that each of the 45 member parishes will select a representative to the Council by January 31, 2004. Each of the five regions that the 45 parishes have been divided into will elect a member of the Council Steering Committee by February 15.
  Anne Barrett Doyle announced a panel discussion on the “Status of the Crisis in the Catholic Church” [held] on Sunday, January 25, 2-4 p.m., Wellesley Middle School, Wellesley, MA.
  John Bowen announced the availability of copies of an article in the current issue of “Corpus Reports.” The article is written by Dr. George O’Connell, labor-management consultant and former government official and member of the Northampton affiliate. The article features Mario Cuomo and Jim Muller as “two of the very best role models” of responsible lay Catholicism.
  Steve Masse announced programs at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, West Concord, MA including a video-taped talk by Fr. Richard McBrien, “A Reflection on the Church in Crisis,” with discussion following and a memorial concert by guitarist P. J. Costa, to benefit the Jim L. Reed family. (Mr. Reed lost his life in a car accident involving Arizona Bishop O’Brien in 2003.)
  President’s Report
  Jim Post thanked members of the Nominating Committee and Election Committee, particularly chairs Svea Fraser and Jim Walsh, for their work. He also congratulated the new officers, others who ran for office, and outgoing secretary Cathy Fallon and outgoing treasurer Scott Fraser for their expertise and dedication. The elected officers are: Jim Post, President; Kris Ward, Vice President; Sr. Betsy Conway, CSJ, Secretary; Ann Carroll, Treasurer.
  Jim read a letter from the Wellesley Meeting of Friends to Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley, lauding the St. Paul, Wellesley affiliate whose meetings were being held at the Meeting House because of the archdiocesan ban against VOTF’s use of church property for meetings. (VOTF is under a partial ban in the Archdiocese of Boston. Affiliates meeting prior to the imposition of the ban in the Fall of 2002 continue to meet on Church property.) The letter urged reconciliation. Jim read from his own letter acknowledging the Friends’ hospitality.
  Jim referred to a meeting of VOTF leadership representatives with the Boston Globe Editorial Board, focusing on the coming parish closings and the profound effects those closings will have.
  The results of the audits of all dioceses regarding compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children, were announced on January 6. Jim encouraged Council members to check the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website (www.usccb.org) for details and the list of recommendations from the National Review Board. On February 27, the National Review Board is expected to release the John Jay College of Criminal Justice “Study of the Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy in the United States,” cataloguing sexual abuse cases – number of priests involved, survivors, money spent – over the last 50 years.
  Earlier this week, Jim participated in the Annual Meeting of the Common Ground Initiative at The University of Notre Dame. He commented on the very positive comments about VOTF, evidencing our network of support. Lay education was a dominant topic at the meeting.
  The National Policy Forum conference calls continue. On January 7, topics covered centered on affiliates’ responses to the January 6 audits, by way of local action, including lay education, media releases and communication with bishops.
  Jim said VOTF priorities during the next 90 days include preparing lay education programs, governance committee work, completion of the structural change primer and concerns around parish closings.
  Jim mentioned that many books about VOTF/the sexual abuse crisis will be published soon. Council members urged caution in our endorsing or listing them in our communications. An exception would be Dr. Jim Muller’s book.
  Finance Report
  Steve Krueger distributed an unaudited Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2003, and an unaudited Statement of Operations for the One Month and Seven Months Ending December 31, 2003.
  Affiliate News
  Bob Marrion said that VOTF of Eastern CT, Diocese of Norwich, would present a panel discussion on issues relating to the Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church on Sunday, February 8. Bob also announced a workshop on the Rights of Clergy in Canon Law, Sunday, March 28, 3-5 p.m., Days Inn, Niantic, CT. Presenter will be canon lawyer Msgr. William A. Varvaro, from the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY. The workshop is in response to the survey of diocesan priests and is open to priests and deacons only, from all dioceses.
  Jack Whelan and Vince Guerra described the collaboration of the North Shore, Lynn, and Seacoast affiliates in presenting a series of lectures followed by discussion.
  Bob Snowber described the work of a task force of the Hingham affiliate that studied documents, guidelines and practices pertaining to parish councils. Bob said that their report is available. [See Hingham, MA under “Voices, Voices Everywhere” in this issue.] There will be continuing follow-up.
  Committee Reports Structural Change Working Group Chair Margaret Roylance presented a Power Point
  status report. She noted that the SCWG was formed in July 2002 and has 75 national members. A Primer on Church Structure is nearing completion. A draft presentation on the operating principles for diocesan level finance councils will be brought to the Representative Council in February.
  Suzy Nauman reported that parish affiliates now include British Columbia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Conference calls are made regularly to each of the four US regions. Current projects in the Parish Affiliate office are the formation of a Parish Voice Advisory Committee, leadership training, and review and updating of start-up materials.
  Jim Walsh thanked all involved in the election process, in particular Steve Kruger and the office staff, notably webmaster Eileen Hespeler. He thanked all who ran for office and congratulated the successful candidates.
  Old Business
  John Magilligan reported that the Task Force on Representative Council Mission and Structure made a conference call with four of the 12 members who were available. They will resume their work in the near future.
  Other Business
  Sheldon Daly announced that Tom Beaudoin, visiting professor of theology at Boston College, would be speaking at the South Region VOTF’s January meeting at St. Albert the Great Parish Center, Weymouth.
  Moderator Fran O’Leary announced tentative dates and places for the next three Council meetings, which will be confirmed by the end of next week: February 28, Paulist Center, Boston; March 20, Reading, MA; April 17, West Hartford, CT.
  Jim Post reminded Council members that Fran O’Leary is acting Moderator, having agreed to serve out the unexpired term of the previous Moderator, which ended December 2003. A formal election for Moderator will take place at the February meeting. (Nominations are welcome.)
  Jack Whelan led us in the closing prayer.
  The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
  Minutes compiled by Jean Boyle and Pat Merlo
  
  VOICE OF RENEWAL
  In light of Voice of Renewal's purpose "to provide a forum to educate on and discuss topics related to the VOTF Mission Statement and Goals," the VOR Working Group is in the process of setting up a Yahoo listserv. The listserv already contains an annotated bibliography and a list of several VOR members from the Boston area who are willing to go out and meet with affiliates to discuss topics on a Church history education series, starting small faith sharing communities and an introduction to Vatican II documents. One of the current discussion topics is the VOR update to the VOTF web site. Another is a questionnaire designed to address the issue of what members see as the most pressing needs for adult education. Bulletin board educational events are also being posted on the listserv. Email lizissam@yahoo.com to post an event. All are welcome and we encourage VOTF members from around the country to join. If you are interested in learning more please send a request to VOR_VOTF@YahooGroups.Com asking to join.
  Ronnie Mitchell, VOR Working Group
  
  Structural Change Working Group Update
  Parish Pastoral Council Survey
  The Structural Change Working Group sent an e-mail with a Parish Pastoral Council Survey to VOTF members last November. Many of you took the time to answer and we are very grateful for your input. The survey came at a very busy season and for those who did not find the time to respond or if you did not receive a notice of the survey, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=62662311531and take advantage of this opportunity to tell us about your Parish Council. It takes about five minutes to complete the survey. If there are questions to which you don't know the answers, just skip that question. You don't have to be on a council to respond. Your responses will help us determine what direction we should take in this area.
  
  Prayerful Voice Working Group
  Susan Troy, Chair, National Prayerful Voice
  Re: Lay Spirituality Conference, Chicago
  Date: February 4, 2004
  The VOTF Lay Spirituality Conference to be held in Chicago, April 16-18, 2004, has been postponed. A new date has not been set. All those involved in the planning of this conference, including National Prayerful Voice and VOTF leadership from the greater Chicago area, decided that holding this conference as scheduled would be not be practical due to several considerations, which include timing and availability of resources. This is only a postponement.
  Valuable knowledge has been obtained from this process of consultation and discernment. With new-found wisdom we know that there is important work to be done in building and developing VOTF affiliates before such a conference will bear the fruit we all desire.
  Over the next year several things need our joint attention. First, there needs to be an emphasis on the need to have a Prayerful Voice working group in every affiliate. Our goals are each very important but our mission statement comes first and grounds everything we do. Its first words are...."To provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit...." Faith is at the core of who we are as a movement. It is the heart of our mission. If a focus on prayer is not kept at the center of all our endeavors, if we don't individually and collectively see our work as our "faith in action in the world," we will not succeed. We need to help each other see that our work, our passion, our commitment in and through VOTF is our prayer, is a statement of faith, and our faith is our greatest strength. That is what we had hoped to begin to articulate at this conference, but it seems there are several others steps that must come first. This is important knowledge gained through this process of envisioning such a conference.
  National Prayerful Voice will work with Parish Voice and affiliates throughout VOTF to help encourage an understanding of our spirituality....our faith in action in the world....and a plan to keep all VOTF activities grounded in prayer and faith. We need dialogue and conversation. We need to tell our stories, to share our wisdom. In the Vineyard has been an important conduit for sharing our stories. We have all read about great moments of grace in the lives of affiliates and individual VOTF members throughout the country. We know the Spirit is moving and powering our work, our lives. Gaining understanding of the way in which our children were victimized and the subsequent cover up has converted our hearts and is a crucial aspect of VOTF growth and maturity. We know what has happened....we have shared these moments....we have felt our faith increase and be strengthened as our voices have grown stronger. We BELIEVE now that truly "we are the Church; we are the People of God."
  The journey continues. We have much to anticipate as we look forward to VOTF’s first regional Lay Spirituality Conference. Let your voices be heard. Please contact prayerfulvoice@voiceofthefaithful.org.
  
  Voices, Voices Everywhere!
  Parish Voice Update – Mary Ann Keyes and Suzy Nauman
  - In the month of December, VOTF National saw a visit from Sean O’Conaill, a VOTF member from No. Ireland. Mary Ann Keyes has been communicating with him for over a year and while here, he met with Mary Ann, Anne Potts, Bill and Mary Sheehan, Svea and Scott Fraser, Jim and Jeannette Post and Midge Seibert. Sean and others are trying to get VOTF off the ground in NO. Ireland.
  - WESTERN STATES VOTF MEETING - SAVE THE DATE!!! March 27 -28. At the University of San Francisco, “'Imaging the Future Church.” Watch the VOTF Web site at www.votf-sf.org for agenda/registration information as well as speakers/participants (one of whom is VOTF president Jim Post).
  - A family visit (Mary Ann) and a medical conference with her husband (Suzy Nauman) occasioned a meeting with the leadership of VOTF affiliates in Northern CA. It was a great day of connecting with some West Coast PV members and putting some framework around the VOTF Western Region leaders’ day in San Francisco – March 28th.
  - Michigan is alive with VOTF activity. Anne Laurence is the new Regional Coordinator for the Diocese of Lansing; Harry Grether is the new Regional Coordinator for Mid-Michigan; and a new affiliate is about to be launched in Detroit under the leadership of Judy Szczesny and Iole LeTissier.
  VOTF East Region
  VOTF New Jersey
  Submitted by Maria Cleary
  Greetings VOTF Family. We have a couple of things going on here in NJ that we thought might be of interest to all:
  How many times have you been asked, “What do you mean by Structural Change?” We now have audio and videotape copies of Anthony Padovano’s empowering speech "The American Catholic Church: Assessing the Past, Discerning the Future," which can provide you with some wonderful answers! We’d be happy to send you a copy if you’d like to share it with your affiliate. Just email us your name and address. If you’d like to read the speech, visit our website at www.votfnj.org , and learn how our Church was once a democracy!
  Also on our website, we have posted a copy of “Rebuild My Church.” This is a Lenten meditation written by one of our members, and based on the three goals of VOTF and the three guiding principles of our affiliate. It is a wonderful Lenten practice, which can keep us focused both on the season itself and our purpose as VOTF. Check it out, and feel free to download it and share it in small groups if you think it would be helpful.
  We have been training at the public access cable TV studio in our area, and will be launching our own Voice of the Faithful talk show within a few weeks. If you’d like to find out how you can do this in your area (it’s easy, believe it or not!) or if you’d like a copy of our show to see how it works, contact us and we’ll send it along. If Jesus were with us now, he’d surely be using both TV and the internet to spread the good news! We continue to join with you all in prayer, and to be grateful for the fellowship we share as 21st century apostles. Many blessings from your brothers and sisters at VOTF/NJ.
  VOTF Winchester, MA
  Submitted by Bob Morris
  Despite the bitter cold and snow, our group met three times this month. The highlight of the month, and easily one of the highlights of our group's young history, was the appearance on January 26 of David Gibson, author of The Coming Catholic Church: How the Faithful Are Shaping a New American Catholicism. David (who traveled from Brooklyn for the event) spoke about his book, as well as the potential models that VOTF could follow in the future. He was most generous in taking questions, which covered the gamut from finance and parish councils to the number of married priests currently in the Catholic Church.
  On January 12 Steve Krueger, VOTF Executive Director, spoke to us. Steve brought us up to speed on current VOTF events, both locally and nationally, and also fielded many questions. It was extremely positive for our members to be able to speak to Steve about whatever was on their minds.
  We started our year with a meeting of our working groups on January 5. There were many ideas being hatched which will hopefully come to fruition throughout the year.
  VOTF Springfield/Northampton, MA
  Submitted by Joan Smola
  Our Diocesan Victim Advocate, Laura Reilly, met with VOTF in December to fill us in on the processes of the Compliance Audit and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Study, as well as other issues related to the sexual abuse crisis. She opened by thanking our VOTF Affiliate for support in sharing the cause to repair the Church and help each other. She noted that she views us as a "support" for her work.
  Regarding the audit, Laura noted that the Springfield Diocese passed the audit with a special commendation for the installation of a Deacon as Clergy Monitor. His charge is to monitor clergy who have been taken out of ministry and ensure that they are following the Diocesan Review Board’s recommendations. On the negative side, concern was raised over the management of cases brought to the Review Board, namely that investigation and follow-up are much too slow, and that victims feel uncomfortable meeting with the entire nine-member Board. As a result, an immediate change was put into place in that victims will no longer be required to meet with the Board if they are uncomfortable doing so; rather they may meet with a segment of the Board or they can be represented by the Victim Advocate. The diocese is also seeking to hire an "investigator" to effect more efficient and timely follow-up to cases. VOTF was asked for suggestions in finding someone to fill this role. In another area, our Bishop (Bishop Thomas Dupre) [Bishop Dupre resigned this week] refuses to put a priest on the Review Board as is called for by the National Charter, while at the same time, an advisory committee has recommended that neither should a victim be on the Board.
  One thorny issue was brought up and addressed: VOTF and Victims Groups have called for a mediator to settle the 14-17 active cases in a timely and just manner. While there had been talk of a mediator, there seemed to be no action in this direction and lawsuits seemed stalled. The mediator who settled the Boston cases has been engaged and will begin in January upon completion of his work in Boston.
  At the request of a parent of a victim who met with the Victim Advocate, we will work together to form a support group for parents/families of victims. Also, there was considerable discussion of the need for truly representative and effective Parish Pastoral Councils and a Diocesan Pastoral Council. Our affiliate has vowed to continue to push for these and work toward that end.
  This was our second meeting with the Victim Advocate, which was truly a dialogue and sharing of ideas to improve the way we are dealing with the sexual abuse crisis. We have been pleased with her openness and willingness to work with us.
  In January, Fr. Richard Lavigne, who had multiple victims, was laicized, under the new "expedited administrative process" for laicization, and will no longer receive diocesan financial support, as of May. However, this action was much too late in coming, and he can appeal for financial support if he is indigent. A special fund has been established with voluntary contributions from individuals to support priests like Fr. Lavigne and those who have been relieved of their ministerial office. A total of $100,000 has been contributed by private donors! Again, we are reminded that the "culture" of our Church provides an atmosphere of compassion and concern for the perpetrators that seems to exceed the compassion and concern for the victims.
  VOTF West Hartford/CT
  Submitted by Dick Wowak
  The Hartford affiliates sponsored a talk on January 14 at St. Joseph's College by Rick Krivanka on "Bringing energy and vitality to the renewal of the Catholic Church." The program traced the Vibrant Parish Program in the Cleveland Diocese using Appreciative Inquiry as the tool for change. Over 200 people attended, and the program was well received.
  VOTF Southshore, MA Affiliates
  Submitted by Anne Southwood
  Hingham VOTF organizers and St. Albert the Great hosts were happy with a full house at the 1/22 Southshore plenary with speaker Thomas Beaudoin, of the Boston College theology department.
  An eye-catching title, “The Spirituality of Starbucks and Swoosh,” drew people to the lecture. Beaudoin’s talk was based on his new book Integrating Who We Are With What We Buy. Focused on economic spirituality, the lively Beaudoin presentation brought home to listeners a way to integrate faith and action in their purchase of name brands. He explained certain name-brand reliance on sweatshop labor and the virtues of "free trade" as opposed to laissez-faire economics and offered ways for consumers to respond, even if in baby steps.
  Beaudoin encouraged investigation into the source of purchases. "Look at your tags," he said, noting that national legislation prompted by inhumane working conditions prohibits the importation of clothing from Burma. He delivered a handout listing "Santa's naughty and nice" purchase recommendations. This offers email access to groups such as www.fairtradefederation.org. The coffee-loving Beaudoin noted that Starbucks has a "free trade" flavor choice. Beaudoin noted that the appeal of his subject crosses generations. “The young are intuiting about this subject, but aren't sure how to respond," said Beaudoin.
  Participants in small-group discussion developed ways to respond to the information provided by Beaudoin. "It's an entirely new way of looking at your Catholicism," said Barbara Morrison, Norwood VOTF. "It's a new direction of doing Christian work. You think you can't do anything about a situation, but you can - and people are," said Bob Snowbar, Hingham VOTF.
  John Hynes, VOTF Southshore regional coordinator, told his discussion group about a fair-trade business he found on Harvard Street in Brookline marketing hand-made, reasonable items made in third world countries; this was an undertaking of the Mennonites. "We talked about how this kind of enterprise actually oversees the process from the factory to the ultimate retail point of sale. Maybe some day our Church will be doing this kind of work," said Hynes.
  "You're doing theology," said Beaudoin, when translating the Catholic tradition in a way that makes sense in relationships, life and economic decisions. Beaudoin touted the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes, a pastoral document on the Church in the modern world, as a source of direction.
  Quoting from the gospel of Matthew, Beaudoin pointed to embracing Christ's humanity. "Christ reveals the way to God in his humanity in community .... Jesus reveals us to ourselves and our divine vocation," he said, as many heads nodded in understanding. Referring to the scriptural reference on one’s treasure being where one’s heart is, Beaudoin drew a relationship between our faith and economic life decisions.
  St. Albert the Great pastor, Fr. Ron Coyne, later agreed with Beaudoin. "You are theologizing," said Coyne when we relating faith to decision making. "He's saying that the gospels are the criteria for a Christian life, and that says it all," said the popular pastor. "Also, just look at a church budget; just where and how they use their money," he said.
  VOTF Hingham, MA ****Best Practices February 2004****
  Submitted by Bob Snowber
  Putting Muscle Into Parish Councils
  Last Spring the Hingham Affiliate concluded that “structural change” in the Church should start at the parish level. A seven- person Task Force was established to look into revising the Boston Diocesan Guidelines for PPC's, which were established in 1987.While our focus was on the Boston Guidelines we wanted to come up with proposals that could apply to any diocese.
  Most Task Force members were members of St. Paul’s Parish Council including the present Vice-Chair. Our goal was to develop changes in the Guidelines that would make the PPC more helpful to the pastors in managing the parish and provide a more meaningful role for the members of the Council who represent the whole congregation. We wanted to propose “doable” changes that would still be within Canon Law and practices in the American Church. The first Phase involved a lot of review of present Guidelines, Vatican II Documents, applicable Canon Law and talking to other PPC's.
  Rather than attempt to rewrite the existing Guidelines, the Task Force agreed to develop a list of 'Premises' which might provide the basis for new Guidelines and would be easier to critique and compare with current rules. These 18 Premises included many of the same items included in the present Guidelines, which were so indicated, but differed in four major aspects: a) instead of the present advisory role the PPC would play a collaborative role; b) the PPC would be interactive with the Finance Council; c) the Vice-Chair would have a greater role in selecting agendas, calling meetings, etc.; and d) a procedure would be created for resolving major disagreements between the pastor and Council.
  Following approval by our Steering Committee, the Premises were reviewed with three pastors and our own PPC and then submitted to the Structural Change Group. Margaret Roylance, Chair of the SCG, has e-mailed it to the SC Network for comments.
  It is hoped that this could provide the basis of discussions with our new Archbishop and in other Diocese a well. For a copy or other information, e-mail RASnowber@aol.com
  VOTF Holy Trinity, Washington, DC
  Submitted by Frank Lane
  This February, the Voice 0f the Faithful affiliate marks its first anniversary at Holy Trinity Church, Washington, DC. This affiliate traces its roots to the first international convention of the Voice of the Faithful held in Boston in July 2002, where a delegation from Holy Trinity was among the 4,500 who attended.
  The following month a small group of parishioners, with the support of the then pastor Fr. William Byron, met to discuss the potential formation of an affiliate. In September 2002, an expanded planning group formulated plans to educate parishioners about VOTF and its goals to support abuse victims and priests of integrity, and to reform the Church. Key to the process was the intentional, targeted steps taken to clarify and discuss the goals and ensure the support of both the parish leadership and general membership prior to establishing an affiliate at Holy Trinity.
  During October 2002 a meeting was held with Parish Council and the pastor to obtain their formal support for VOTF affiliate at Holy Trinity. (Since these meetings the Council and Pastor have been continuously updated on VOTF developments to ensure effective communication of VOTF strategies, goals and objectives and maintain the support of the parish leadership.) During the last weekend of the month informational meetings were held after each Mass and VOTF materials were distributed to the more than 100 attendees.
  On November 9, the first general open meeting was held for about 125 people. They were addressed by Dr.Tony Tambasco of the Georgetown University Theology Department and a parishioner, and by Fr. Ladislaw Orsy, a professor at the Georgetown University Law and a canon law expert. The meeting, with over 125 attendees, focused on the propriety of VOTF as fully consistent with Church structure and Canon law.
  On December 7, 2002 an open meeting was held on Goal 1—support of the abused. More than 65 people heard a presentation by Mark Serrano who discussed the ongoing effort of his organization to help abuse victims. Dr. Sylvia Marotta, George Washington University, Chairwoman of Counseling in the Human and Organizational Studies Department, and a parishioner, also discussed the sexual abuse crisis in the Church in terms of the ongoing abuse in the United States and beyond.
  On January 18, 2003 a general session on Goal 2 – support priests of integrity – was attended by more than 100 people, and was addressed Fr. Jim Greenfield and Fr. Jim Sabek.
  On February 8, 2003 a general session on Goal 3 – shaping structural change within the Church – heard an address by Fr. Jim Coriden, a canon lawyer and dean emeritus of Washington Theological Union. At the conclusion of this meeting those present voted overwhelming to form VOTF affiliate at Holy Trinity in support of the three goals formulated by the National VOTF organization. On the basis of this decision the Parish Council recognized the fledgling organization and “The Voice of the Faithful Affiliate at Holy Trinity Parish” was born.
  Since that time the affiliate has put into place a structure including the development of goals with supporting strategies for VOTF activities, distribution of information, membership forms, and regular announcements to members. This past June, at the invitation of the affiliate, Jane Belford, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Washington, promised the full cooperation of the Archdiocese with the laity and cited the archdiocesan lay council as evidence of that commitment. VOTF affiliate leadership is following up with this group to obtain the minutes and meeting schedule of the council
  In addition to its work within the parish, VOTF at HT is working with other local affiliates in the metropolitan area and initiating activities in support of VOTF goals as previously reported from Holy Trinity (In the Vineyard, November 2003). For example, VOTF President Jim Post addressed members from DC, Maryland and Virginia and stated that the lack of fiscal accountability by the Catholic Church is one of the underlying causes of the sexual abuse scandal and that it is necessary for the laity to take more prominent roles in church finances at both the parish and diocesan levels.
  The secrecy surrounding church finances allowed some bishops to siphon off church funds to silence victims of clergy sex abuse he said, and this helped to keep the scandal under wraps for many years. Increasing lay influence on parish and diocesan councils is only one goal of VOTF, he said, but if pastors and bishops can be convinced that such lay involvement is what VOTF means by “shaping cultural change” in the Church, many of their fears may be allayed.
  In November two VOTF members represented the HT affiliate at a VOTF support meeting for SNAP. This was held just prior to the Washington meeting with the National Conference of Bishops. These members were impressed with the resiliency of the survivors they met who turned their sorrow into ministry to prevent further abuse. The HT/VOTF liaison with SNAP is a continuing project.
  The new HT pastor Fr. Jim Shea, S.J., at his installation Mass on January 26, pledged to the parish and Cardinal McCarrick, to seek the advice and counsel of the laity, specifically the HT parish council, in all spiritual and temporal matters. He also said that HT is a prayerful community, is empowered by listening to the Spirit and called to be the Body of Christ. In the breaking of the bread we become strong and loving and give greater service to the wider Catholic community.
  At the conclusion of the Mass, the Cardinal expressed his love for Holy Trinity, its Jesuit tradition and the leaders of the Church and nation who have attended here and the historical role of the parish since the beginning of this country. On this point, it is interesting to note that the founders of Boston College and Holy Cross were also Holy Trinity pastors.
  On February 28 the HT/VOTF affiliate will mark its first anniversary with a special Mass for all members and parishioners. While there remains much to be accomplished, there is a clear sense that the affiliate is emerging as an effective vibrant organization of reasoned Catholics who strive to unite as a prayerful voice, guided by the Spirit, to successfully address the challenges ahead.
  VOTF Cleveland, OH
  Submitted by Fred McGunagle
  Voice of the Faithful and the Catholic Common Ground Initiative have a lot in common, Sister Joan Acker told the St. Christopher Parish Voice Jan. 24. As evidence, she quoted the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin who founded the Initiative in 1996 in an effort to bring polarized Catholics together: “In a time of crisis, silence and neutrality are not an option for people of faith.” He said, “I ask you, without waiting and on your own, to strengthen the common ground, to examine the situation with fresh eyes and open minds and changed hearts, and to confront our challenges with honesty and imagination.” The local chapter of Common Ground usually meets three times a year in Brunswick, but will hold a special session April 25 on the role of the laity.
  A graduate of St. Christopher School, Sister Joan is a Humility of Mary nun whose science students at Magnificat High School won frequent state and national awards. She also taught at Borromeo Seminary and John Carroll University, where she shared in a $10,000 award from the Templeton Foundation for developing a course on “Science and Religion.” Sister Joan told a story about Father – later Cardinal – John Henry Newman, who was fired by his bishop as editor of the diocesan newsletter for being too favorable to the laity. “Who are the laity?!” the bishop demanded. “Your Excellency,” Newman replied, “the Church would look pretty foolish without them.”
  Our affiliate elected officers for the coming year: Fred McGunagle, chair; Tom Litzler, vice chair; Janet Sherman, secretary; Bill Litzler, treasurer.
  On Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 5:30, Fr. Robert Schreiter, CPPS, will speak in the auditorium of the new Dolan Science Center, John Carroll University. Fr. Schreiter is Vatican Council II Professor of Theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and author of The Ministry of Reconciliation, and Mission in the Third Millennium.
  We will meet again March 13 to discuss the John Jay College report to be released on Feb. 27. It will list, diocese by diocese, the number of victims and perpetrators involved in the sex abuse scandal, along with the amount paid out in legal settlements to victims. The group will also discuss the financial scandal that forced suspension of the chief financial officer of the Cleveland Diocese.
  Vol.1, No.1, of Cleveland VOTF’s first newsletter was published on January 24. “The purpose and editorial policy of the Cleveland VOTF newsletter VOTF Perspectives is to provide resources to members of Voice of the Faithful in the Diocese of Cleveland, to create a culture of books, articles, and lectures common to our members, and to build a network of personal relationships. Persons who submit material for consideration must be members of VOTF.”
  An excerpt from this first issue:
  Ten months after the adoption of the new Cleveland Diocese sex abuse policy, a Review Board is now ready to begin hearings. It will soon act on appeals of two priests who were placed on administrative leave and want to return to active ministry. That’s the report the St. Christopher Parish Voice heard on Nov. 23 from John Bongiovanni, a parent representative on the 15-member board.
The appeals will be the board’s first “second-stage” hearings. So far it has held only less thorough “first-stage” hearings when a complaint was filed. “There are a number of priests on administrative leave who may not be guilty,” Bongiovanni said. However, the complaints appeared credible and the priests were put on leave “in the interest of the safety of children.” He said the board will now interview accusers and other witnesses. Unless there is a preponderance of evidence against the priest, the board must recommend to Bishop Anthony Pilla that he be reinstated.
A number of accused priests are still drawing their salaries, but Bongiovanni said they will not have hearings unless they or the bishop ask for them. “We cannot initiate a hearing,” he said. Bongiovanni said hearings were held up by the need to develop bylaws to deal with complicated civil and canon law questions.
He added that he was impressed by the support the board has received so far from the bishop and by the objectivity of his fellow board members. “Nobody has an ax to grind,” he said.
VOTF South Region
VOTF SW Florida
Submitted by Peg Bisgrove
We are very fortunate to be hosting renowned author Fr. Donald Cozzens, a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, to speak at VOTF SW Florida's Second Annual Speakers Forum on Feb. 28, 7 p.m. at St. Peter the Apostle Church, East Naples. Fr. Cozzens’ topic is “Faith That Dares To Speak.” His most recent books The Changing Face of the Priesthood and Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Catholic Church continue to figure in the ongoing dialogue about the future of our Church. Donald Cozzens is a visiting professor of religious studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. For more than a decade, Cozzens has been writing and speaking about the crisis facing the Church and the priesthood. Since January 2002, when the clergy sexual abuse scandal received wide media attention, he has appeared on several major television network programs including “Meet the Press” and CNN News. Also, Fr. Cozzens has been a guest on PBS and BBC radio interviews and discussions. For directions to this upcoming talk or additional information, please e-mail IrishPeg@worldnet.att.net.
VOTF Louisville, KY
Submitted by Paula Radmacher
The Louisville, KY affiliate is celebrating our first anniversary. We thank God for the progress we, the Church, are making in one of "the worst" (in numbers of lawsuits) dioceses in the country. We owe much of this progress to the untiring efforts of Shannon Whelan, who is stepping down as Chair and will focus on being Regional Coordinator for the state of Kentucky. Our goal is to make Louisville one of "the best" (in terms of healing, accountability and transparency) dioceses in the country.
We have received good coverage in our local paper the Courier-Journal where “Cecilia Price, a spokeswoman for the Louisville archdiocese, said it has a cordial relationship with Voice of the Faithful. She said it supports the group's three primary goals and welcomes the assistance of Voice of the Faithful and other groups like it in achieving them.”
VOTF Central
VOTF Illinois
Submitted by Terry O’Connor
We had over two hundred people attend Holy Family parish in Inverness on a cold night of six degrees and a wind chill of five below zero to hear Justice Anne Burke, Illinois Appellate Court Justice and acting chair of the USCCB National Review Board, which was commissioned 17 months ago to investigate the sexual abuse crisis.

VOTF International
VOTF Saanich Peninsula, Sidney, BC Canada
Submitted by MaryAnn Gervais
Saanich Peninsula Parish Affiliate in British Columbia, Canada announces the passing of Joanne Cameron on Monday, January 12th, after a short battle with cancer. Family and friends attended a Celebration of her Life on Thursday, January l5th, 2004. Joanne was a newcomer to St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Sidney B.C. having been a parishioner for only three years. Her vitality, compassion and love were extended to whomever she met and consequently many were in attendance to bid her farewell.
Joanne was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 25, 1943. She completed her secondary education at a Dominican High School and then entered a convent in Wisconsin for a year. Upon leaving the convent she married Joseph Polselli in 1962 and raised a family of three sons and a daughter, Julie, who lives in Sidney, B.C. Joanne continued her education by obtaining a nursing degree and practiced nursing in Detroit. She was forced to retire in 1994 due to an injury at work.
After the passing of her father, Joanne had the privilege of living with and caring for her mother for three years until she lost her to cancer in 1999. Joanne moved to Sidney to be closer to her daughter. She began active participation in her new parish. She chose to give her time and effort to the Alpha Group and to the newly formed Voice of the Faithful ministry at St. Elizabeth's, Saanich Peninsula Parish.
This has been a sad passing for the VOTF who counted on Joanne's broad experience and forward thinking and benefited from her courageous and loving presence. Her absence will be felt strongly but Joanne's spirit and May peace be yours, Joanne.
Thank you to Father Rolf Hasenack O.P., our new parish priest. This was Father Rolf"s first official duty upon his appointment to St. Elizabeth's on January 15, 2004.

EVENTS, ETC.
National
****David France, former senior editor at Newsweek magazine, has published a book Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal. David covered the clergy sexual abuse crisis for Newsweek Magazine and, in that capacity, became close with individuals within the survivor community and attended several Voice of the Faithful meetings. David is happy to speak at VOTF meetings and can be contacted through Mike Emerton, former press secretary for VOTF, at jmemerton@comcast.net. David’s book tour will include, Washington, DC; New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, Il; Boston, MA.
**** From Gaile Pohlhaus, VOTF PA – “I just ran across this on canon law. It may be of interest.” http://www.archchicago.org/canon_law/one_121002.shtm.
****VOTF president Jim Post Speaking Commitments – please watch this space or check our web site at www.votf.org for details as they become available and/or changes.
January 30, 2004 Boston College, “Leading with Values: In Theory and Practice”
February 12-14, 2004, Boston College – Conference on Future of the Catholic Church “Commentary – Future Directions for the Catholic Church” (see January Vineyard for details)
March (date to be announced) Hartford, CT, “50 Years of Scandal: Where Are We Now?”
March 29, 2004, Imaging the Future Church Conference. University of San Francisco, CA, “Being a ‘Catholic Citizen’ in 2004”
April 2004, VOTF, Long Island, NY
May 13, 2004, VOTF Seacoast, MA, Newburyport, MA
Regional
EAST
****Heads up for April 16-17, 2004 - A conference with global implications, "Envisioning the Church Women Want: A Conference on Women in the Church," will be held at Boston College. For information, visit www.bc.edu/church21, or call 617-552-3489. The conference will bring together Catholic women and men of diverse experiences, interests and ages – artists, educators, activists, and those whose ministries are in families – to celebrate in ritual and story, in careful analysis and in prophetic witness, the past and future of women in the Catholic Church.
****The Lower Cape, MA affiliate of Voice of the Faithful will meet on Sunday, February 15, 2004 at 2:30 pm at the Brewster Ladies Library on Rt. 6A in Brewster. There will be a business meeting and small group discussions about our direction and events. The group currently consists of parishioners from four Roman Catholic churches on the Lower Cape. All are welcome. The Lower Cape VOTF is also interested in reaching out to victims of abuse. If you have been a victim of clergy sexual abuse and would like to participate in a support group, please contact Doug at 508/896-1589. For questions concerning the Lower Cape VOTF group, its goals and its activities, or questions regarding this release, please contact Madalyn Hillis-Dineen at dineen@gis.net.
**** Saturday, February 21, 2004 Workshop: "The Future of Religious Life in the Catholic Church," with Sr. Mary Johnson, S.N.D. 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Fulton 230 Sponsor: Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Continuing Education Information: http://www.bc.edu/irepm or 617-552-8057. A $30 fee will be charged
**** The Concord, Mass. VOTF and Winchester Area VOTF are jointly sponsoring a discussion with David France, who covered the Church scandal as a Senior Editor for Newsweek, regarding his recently published book Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Church in an Age of Scandal (Broadway Books 2004). David will be speaking at St. Eulalia's Church, 50 Ridge Street, Winchester, MA on Saturday, February 21, at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome to attend.
**** Tuesday, February 24, 2004 Lecture: "Restorative Justice as A Model of Healing A Wounded Church Community," with Rev. Dr. Rodney L. Petersen, Boston Theological Institute. 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Gasson 305. Sponsor: Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Continuing Education Information: http://www.bc.edu/irepm or 617-552-8057. Registration required
CENTRAL
****On February 22, Father Tom Powers will speak at the 11:30 Sunday Mass Saints Faith, Hope and Charity in Winnetka, Il. There will be a Q&A period with Fr. Tom, the pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Wellesley, MA, which is the founding VOTF parish. He will discuss the parish experience in the Boston Archdiocese as well as the rise and creation of Voice of the Faithful.
SOUTH
****Sunday Feb. 15 - VOTF and SNAP to co-sponsor New Orleans, La. Candlelight Vigil for the victims of clergy sex abuse who committed suicide. On Monday Feb. 16 at Loyola University there will be a panel discussion "Clericalism and the Abuse of Power in the Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis." Panelists include Fr. Tom Doyle; author Jason Berry; SNAP founder Barbara Blaine; former seminarian and, later, attorney for the Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston Robert Scamardo; and VOTF National representatives Susan Troy and Peggie Thorp.
WEST
**** WESTERN STATES VOTF MEETING - SAVE THE DATE!!! March 27 -28. At the University of San Francisco, “'Imaging the Future Church.” Watch the VOTF Web site at www.votf-sf.org for agenda/registration information as well as speakers/participants (one of whom is VOTF president Jim Post).
Letters to the Editor

Responses to last month’s What Do You Think? In the January issue of In the Vineyard, we published a response from College of Holy Cross professor David O’Brien to a letter written by three priests in the Fall River, MA. The priests’ letter questioned VOTF’s Catholicity.
“I’ve contributed hundreds of dollars to VOTF without getting directly involved, but this exchange of letters reassures me that I made a good decision to become a contributor, and will continue to do so.
We now have a pastor at St. Denis in Hanover, NH where there is a highly educated congregation. The pastor has an ‘I am in total control here’ attitude. His idea of lay involvement in parish matters is for us to baby sit in the basement during the 11:15 mass. Nothing wrong with that, but it reveals his limited view of involvement by the laity in parish administration. He is a Holy Cross graduate, former Fidelity investment employee, former chaplain in the military, and now our pastor. Sorry to say, his attention to every little performance detail that goes on during Mass creates a similarly mechanical response from those in attendance.
As a 71 year old, cradle, life-long practicing Catholic, I now realize that the real beauty of the Catholic Church is in its sacramental nature, i.e., our religious experience is not dependent on the words or actions of any one particular priest, pastor, bishop or pope. Our relationship with God through the sacraments supercedes whatever clerical disappointments or issues we must endure at any particular time or place.
Of course, it would be nice to see the talents, education, and experience of the laity put to good use inside the Church instead of being applied to more welcoming service organizations outside the Church as I now must do. I doubt that I¹ll see any change in my lifetime, but will keep supporting VOTF in the hope that some future generation will see the vision and changes VOTF is working towards.”
Jay Davis

“ Regarding last month’s letter from the three Fall River, MA priests, how can anyone follow such men after all they have to say about the Church crisis in their long diatribe about how awful VOTF is that ‘the scandals… grew within a general culture that was taking its moral obligations before God less seriously.’ They blame it all on the outrageous culture in which we live but they live in it too and are just as responsible as we are.
Leaders do not blame others and threaten - they ask questions and listen. Imagine what these men would have to do if they had to make a decision by themselves and stand up for themselves. ‘Embrace authentic Catholic teaching’ to them means follow, don't think and certainly don't lead. We can do so much better than that. VOTF has given me the opportunity to thoughtfully assess my faith, what it is and what it means – it has been the most exciting opportunity in my faith life!”
Kathy Mullaney, Wayland, MA

”I keep asking myself why I made no response to stories of priest abuse, which I became aware of many years ago. What did I think? Did I assume the Church had resolved those problems? Did I think they were isolated cases? Did I not care enough to try to become more knowledgeable? I do feel so ashamed. I now do my small part for VOTF. I will never understand how so many people can still remain complacent around the recent events, programs, settlements, etc., promoted by Catholic bishops to resolve the Church crisis. It is equally difficult for me to understand some others who are openly hostile to VOTF. I'm grateful for Mr. O'Brien's response and hopeful that there will be some enlightenment. If it weren't for VOTF, I'm not sure I would still be a practicing Catholic.”
Gail Collins

“Those who don't attempt to understand our outrage can never be reached. The President of Holy Cross College said recently, ‘Don't be afraid of the truth; it comes from God.’ It is not the responsibility of VOTF to prove its legitimacy. It is the responsibility of the complainers to prove that VOTF is not orthodox. Professor O'Brien speaks to the point better than I.”
Ken Furlong
”O'Brien (who doesn't appear to have been too successful in reforming the behavior of a significant number of the students at HC) fails to address the strong tilt towards ‘liberal’ ideologues at various VOTF meetings. As the folk mass crowd disappears, so will VOTF.”
Vincent

And more letters:
”I joined VOTF because I had too many decades of this same ‘blather’ (we want the laity to participate, to contribute and to do as they are told.) It is going to be difficult change an institution that is organized like an army, but at least you are trying. The days of ‘who are you to question me? I am the PASTOR’ should be over; but it will probably be another generation before we really get renewal. Keep up the good work.”
Harold Wilkinson, New York City, NY

“I logged onto your site for the first time in a while and noticed two great improvements. First, the format is so easy to use and crams in such variety. Second, the content is right on and comprehensive, and is not afraid to publish contrarian views. This is the best way to challenge the claim that we are just another Call to Action group. Stick to this approach and the grass-roots members will either eventually follow or fall away, which is OK too.”
Bob

“I just want to say 'thanks' again for the great new-year newsletter! It has so much information and gives us ideas to pursue here in the ValleyVOTF. At the same time it keeps me connected to the home base and broader community. Jim Post has just the right way to say things to be positive and at the same time honest as to what is needed – an uphill hike-shaping the future.”
Suzanne Battos

”I remember VOTF in prayer, with gratitude in my heart.
I understand that any crusade has to be limited in its scope, yet priest/clergy sexual abuse is far from the only clergy abuse experienced in the life of the Church. How many teachers, principals, religious education directors, and other parish ministers have experienced faith-rending pain at the hand of the same ministers who have turned their faces away from the tears of anguish shed by sex abuse victims?
How many have experienced behaviors from their priests and bishops that are illegal in the real world? Public schools (because of union pressure) treat their employees with more justice and fairness than Church schools. In the real world people being ‘terminated’ are frequently escorted off the employer's property, their door locks are changed, and they are given an hour to clean away personal effects. But we aren't working for the real world; we're working for the Kingdom. We should be better than that, expect better than that, and do better than that. These behaviors are inexcusable. When are those-who-would-be-shepherd going to place more importance on pastoral care than fear of lawsuits? In my experience, it has been difficult to continue any semblance of full active participation in the Church. This is due in part to my understanding of Church – that we are the Church, the People of God.
While the ‘CEO's’ of the Church act with impunity, the Church has sat back and allowed it to happen. Sadly, I, too, saw the abuses for years and felt powerless to do anything about it. Then it happened to me. Now I don't know if I'll ever be able to stand at the table again with people who may not stand with me when I need them the most. And in my heart, I know you, VOTF understand the pain and emptiness of a heart once burning in the service of the Lord.”
William Farrand

”Congratulations on the content and quality of the January issue. Good coverage, interesting reading, fair reporting.”
J. A. Butler, Maryland

“It is really pitiful that so many of the bishops and priests still do not get it. Fr. Doyle and the NCR warned the bishops almost 20 years ago. They did not pay attention. How can these priests talk about sexual morality when too large a number of their confreres did terrible things to children, many priests covered up for their fellow priests and the bishops ‘for the good of the church’ did such a terrible service to the ‘simple laity’ or the ‘children of the church ‘ as they liked to refer to us. It will take many years for trust to be established. After all, the Reformation started just because indulgences were being sold. This is much worse.”
”I think VOTF would be making a big mistake and shortening its existence if it only concentrates on the pedophile scandal. Don't get me wrong, this was your shining moment and if you hadn't taken the lead on this issue, it still might be under the rug.
However, I think this scandal will subside. We as Catholics, however, must stay vigilant about it and never let it happen again. There are other things we can and must do.
We must hold the Church to strict accountability on its finances. In this age of high taxes and financial pressures, people want to know where their money is going. As we learned in the pedophile scandal, priests have the same frailties that we all have and they need our help as much as we need theirs. We would be letting them go down the path of destruction again if we don't monitor their finances.
This includes the Vatican. We all want the Papacy to be a highly respected and admired institution not because of its material beauty but because of its inner beauty. As good a man as this Pope may have been, he did not show good leadership in the pedophile scandal. Only God can judge him but we need to be concerned with how God will judge us as individuals and how we monitored the Church's activities will be one of those judgments.”
Vincent Curcuru

”The thoughts shared by Bill Breidenbach (In the Vineyard, January 2004, “Letters to the Editor”)are powerful not only in their specifics, but in their general proposition that the road to ‘process improvement’ (to borrow from many management science texts) begins in openness. Approaches such as honest surveys – not concocted questions, carefully structured to yield the author's desired results – and open dialogue are a minimum beginning, but they must feel extraordinarily threatening to a hierarchy just waiting for all this to ‘blow over.’
We can see parallels in the business world. Openness is fraught with enormous risk in the minds of those frozen within the autocratic model. Scott Adams has enormous fun with this fear in ‘Dilbert.’ But beneath Adams’ humor rests such unsettling truth that we (worker and manager alike) truly shudder as we read. From our observations of business hierarchical foibles, however, I wonder if we can't draw some understanding and perhaps even Christian empathy for the Church hierarchy. The question becomes, how can men who just don't get it and are fearfully hanging on by their fingernails be moved?
I think the answer rests in lay persistence. Sending a clear message up the ‘ladder’ that we are here and are forever changed, having been awakened from child-like acceptance of all hierarchical pronouncements by the recent disclosures and Church's shameful non-response until pressured by the laity, the media and the courts. As mature adults, we see a hierarchy that is, after all, just human, in spite of vestments and ceremony, just as it has been throughout Church history. The hierarchy contains elements of greatness and failure, of humility and hubris, of poverty and avarice.
‘Church’ is an inclusive, searching and learning community, not a totalitarian state of a subjugated citizenry under a ruling class. We seek learned wisdom and guidance in our difficult faith journey, and accountability, not angry pronouncements and admonitions that are self-serving.
There is not just one problem, and a pay-off won't make it all go away – things can not silently go back to ‘before.’ The monetary award is only a partial compensation to those unspeakably wronged.
We must support the brave priests, alone in their struggle to save the Church, Christ's way and the faith of their flock. Can we imagine how far out on a limb they must feel?
More than anything else, we must show our bishops loving persistence and steadfastness of purpose to lead them away from hubris and towards self-questioning and spiritual (rather than political) discernment. In the end, they must come to internalize the need for change, and truly believe in their hearts that either they, or their replacements, must learn that power flows upwards from the community and not down from an alleged authority. At the same time we in VOTF must also listen and not be guilty of hubris ourselves.”
John Cadigan
My Takes and “Thank you, VOTF!” – Jim Post
I attended an event in Wellesley, MA where five extraordinary leaders – Fr. Tom Doyle, authors Richard Sipe and Jason Berry, and survivor leaders Sue Archibald (The LinkUp) and David Clohessy (SNAP) – spoke to an audience of more than 400 people about the current state of the sexual abuse tragedy. The panelists provided an overview, then answered a variety of questions from audience members.
A few key points:
1. "Crisis" may be an inappropriate word to use because it signifies a beginning and an end. To victim/survivors, there is no end – just the reality of living a life that has forever been affected by sexual abuse. We must understand this as an era of history that will only pass when another era – of honesty and sexual maturity – begins.
2. The scope of abuse that flows from the clerical culture is much broader than the abuse of children or adolescents alone. It extends to abuse of women, as well as men; teens and adults as well as children. At the root of the abuse equation is power and its misuse by those in positions of authority.
3. The cover up of information about these evils continues. Lawyers for the Catholic Church continue to suppress information, conceal records, and subvert the process of full disclosure. Projects such as the document disclosure project at www.bishopsaccountability.org are bringing much needed sunlight to these issues.
4. The need for public awareness continues to be great. There is so much that needs to be done – outreach to survivors, assistance to those coming forward, therapeutic assistance, and reform of the conditions within the Catholic Church that made such evil possible.
5. The panelists agreed that the twin goals of justice for survivors and prevention of future harms require all of us, as individuals and in our various organizations, to continue to take action. One small thing each day (a phone call to another person, a letter to a bishop demanding change, refusal to continue being a "pay, pray, and obey" Catholic) can build enormous grassroots pressure for change.
What happened to thousands of victims/survivors changed their lives. The knowledge that all of us have gained in two years has changed our lives. Together – survivors and committed Catholics – we can make an ever-stronger case for change.
My personal thanks to the hundreds of VOTF members and supporters who turned out for this event in Wellesley, MA. And my special thanks goes to the many VOTF members who volunteered their precious time, energy, and great baking talents to the reception.
I want it to be said loud and clear – THANK YOU VOTF!!!!

What Do You Think?
Reply to leaderpub@votf.org
Task for the Next Church Council
by Rev. Raymond G. Helmick, S.J.
This essay was originally published in Human Development, Volume Twenty-Four, Number Two, Summer 2003 Pp. 5-9. Human Development magazine is published by Regis College. Subscription information is available at www.regis.edu (click on site map) or by contacting Linda Amadeo at lamadeo@regis.edu. Reprinted with permission.
Have we a new Council of the Church in our near future? When Pope John XXIII answered that question affirmatively back in 1959 the rather sclerotic Catholic Church of the time faced a broadening crisis of relevancy, but nothing like the catastrophe we have experienced since January 2002. As we discovered how widespread was the crisis of child sexual abuse by priests, as revealed last year, how long a time it had been going on and how church leaders had concealed it, we entered a devastating period of collapsing trust and fierce recrimination.
The bishops, meeting in Dallas last June, placed some new obstacles in the way of actual abuse by priests, whether strong enough we do not yet know. Their formula for dealing with past abuses struck many as posing serious doubts about due process, raising a new controversy of its own. But since, in November, they tamely accepted its drastic revision by Roman authority, people fear that any crackdown is essentially compromised, that American bishops have now abdicated responsibility for meeting the crisis, leaving it up to curial officials in Rome. They, in turn, fail to command trust, as they appear anxious to sweep everything under the rug. Discussion of the Christian imperatives of reconciliation and forgiveness, common after Dallas, fade out of the picture now, as the Church appears too distracted even to consult its own tradition and responds, for the most part, only to media pressures.
We have urgent questions about whether the bishops, whose actions horrify us even more than those of the pederasts, will be held accountable in any credible way. That is terribly disillusioning for all who wish to have confidence in the Church as an institutional structure through which to live their faith. Accountability, the ultimate red-line question for the Roman authorities, constitutes a quite distinct issue from the pervasive sexual disorders. Since the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston has had to resign his see, calls for other resignations abound, all referred to the Pope as the only one who can judge, order or accept them. Roman officials shrink from the thought, fearing that bishops may go down like a row of dominoes.
An outstanding piece of research done by reporters for the Dallas Morning News (June 12, 2002) established a claim that some two thirds of the bishops of dioceses in the United States (at least 111 of what they classify as the nation's 178 "mainstream," or Roman rite, Catholic dioceses) have in some way protected or concealed offender priests, brothers or other religious. New York Times reporter Laurie Goodstein, writing December 1, 2002, has since widened that count, claiming such offense in all but two of those dioceses, to the chagrin of Andrew Greeley who, in the February 10, 2003, issue of America saw this as anti-Catholic attack. All this tells us how far such a purge could go. Some might want that, but if we are to attack this problem root and branch, let us be clear that the roots are in Rome, from where the policy was enforced that protection of the institution’s reputation from scandal took priority over nearly anything else.
That is not to say that the Pope did it: this is the sort of thing that comes from a bureaucracy. Nor should we be surprised. This is the way of large institutions, as examples ranging from Enron to the U.S. Government constantly teach us. Bishops, too timid even to criticize, have simply followed institutional procedures. We have to suspect that a bishop who would not go along, placing the avoidance of scandal at the top of his list, would have lost his job.
We have serious questions, then, to ask about basic habits in the Church. Angry though people may be, we make fools of ourselves if we believe that a few hangings, a reign of terror in the Church, will resolve these issues. Our ills are so endemic to the system that it is mere evasion to heap all the blame on individuals. Venting our outrage on them may give us some self-indulgent satisfaction, but does not address the underlying problems at all.
Two obvious questions stand out: one about our attitudes toward sexuality, the other about the governance of the Church. On both matters our whole process needs to be opened up. While there may be other ways of doing this, the traditional one is in a Council of the Church.
This may well be the matter of a new papacy, which will come in its time, though Pope John Paul II keeps surprising those who write him off and addressing new problems with new energy. We may expect that when the cardinals next meet to elect a Pope, these matters, weighing on the whole Catholic Church, will be at the front of their minds. The leaders in the Church have a responsibility to ask why these things have happened. We will all be telling them they must deal with this when electing a Pope, and the one chosen will have to address this disaster in some appropriate way.
THE SEX-ABUSE QUESTION
Anyone can see the social immaturity, especially the retarded psycho-sexual development, of the predator priests we have heard about. There have to be reasons for that, things in their experience and formation that have led them to these perversions. We hear a good deal about sexual sin, but basic attitudes toward sexuality are one of those things that we shy away from discussing in our Church.
It does not stand to our credit if we regard one of God's most precious gifts to us with the disdain and evasion that human sexuality has received in much of our tradition, the furtiveness with which it is treated. This applies not only to Catholics but to most other Christians as well, since the anti-sexual tradition goes back to St. Augustine, many of his contemporaries and even older authorities, but actually has its roots in the pagan world of their time, its dualism (reflected in the Manichaeism that had so attracted Augustine) and its disgust with the body and the material circumstances of life.
In the recruitment of our Catholic clergy and religious, this creates opportunity for young persons simply to evade or postpone dealing with the issue of sexuality at all, treating it as something that has nothing to do them. Surely we know celibates who, even much later in life, have never genuinely faced themselves. This is especially tempting to those with some ambivalence, uncertainty or fear about their own sexuality. We may try to screen out such persons as candidates, but can expect little success if the screeners themselves share those attitudes.
The bishops at the Second Vatican Council made a concerted effort never to accept this disparagement of the sexual character of human beings and the sexual expression of human love, particularly in their teaching on celibacy. But the poisoning tradition still holds on, one that sees persons' sexuality as the bad thing about them of which they should be ashamed, and try to live as if they didn't have it. Discussion of this whole area has long been treated with such reluctance and suspicion as to contribute to a widespread immaturity in our community, such that we ought not be surprised when it leads to bizarre consequences like this priest-pedophilia or -ephebophilia. The wild chaos of sexual permissiveness that characterizes so much of our contemporary scene can actually be seen as simply the reverse side of this same coin.
Many commentators, some with pre-conceived agendas, want to approach this pathology with instant solutions, like the abolition of mandatory celibacy or the ordination of women, without going through the more fundamental reflection that the matter requires. These issues will doubtless come into the picture and eventually have the attention of such a Council as we may hope to see. (They did come up at the last Council, Vatican II, but were taken off the table and reserved instead for curial consideration.) But we owe it to the integrity of the faith to examine this void in our understanding of the human person more carefully before settling for easy solutions.
Many, even among those of manifest good will toward the Church and its traditions, question whether celibacy or virginity can ever be other than damaging to the persons committed to them. No one will be able to defend their value convincingly unless a mature and welcoming understanding of sexuality and sexual identity become common property of Christians.
Still more pressing, however, is the question of authority structures in the Church.
THE AUTHORITY QUESTION
We have seen protection of the institution and its managers set above even the most basic moral responsibilities. Our foundational Christian Scripture calls for the most open dealings among us. The "rulers of the gentiles," we are told, "lord it over them, and their great men know how to make their authority felt," but "among you this is not to happen" (Matthew 20, 25). Ours is to be a Church where "there is nothing hidden, but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light" (Mark 4, 22). To appeal to such fundamentals of Christ's teaching sounds simply ironic today, and we need to ask why.
We have become a very law-bound Church. That in itself accords ill with the priorities set in the letters of St. Paul, where we learn that our salvation is by faith, and not by the works of the law. We search our Scripture for a "Law of Christ," and what we find, in such places as the Sermon on the Mount, is instead an insistence that we must never satisfy ourselves with observing merely the requirements set by a law. Instead we must always strive to do more, to put ourselves at the service of others: never by constraint, but by willing offering of self. You can't codify that.
That makes the Christian community an unwelcoming place in which to develop a culture of law. We have a different kind of mandate from Christ, more difficult perhaps, but freer. The Christian community is to build up its members in a living of the faith, the confident service of God in others around us, especially those most in need. Law is not its foundation. But of course, the Christian community eventually became large and complex, acquired respectability and a great deal of secular responsibility for civil society, first under Constantine and his successor emperors and again in the harsher 11th century. By then it found itself in need of orderly structures for its own governance.
What happened was that it turned, for lack of any specifically Christian structure of law, to purely secular sources. Just by reason of time and place, the Christians who established our internal canons of law adopted the categories of Roman Law, which still dominate not only the Canon Law of the Catholic Church but also, as Code Napoleon, the legal systems of most European countries.
That law is Roman but has no essentially Christian character to it. It is the law of Empire, and its governing premise is that the will of the sovereign is law. That this should have become the basis of Canon Law is entirely anomalous. It is the very system of domination that Christ so explicitly rejects for his followers. It has provided a kind of order, essentially an imposition of order, to much of Europe ever since Roman imperial times, but it has as its fundamental flaw that there is no room in it for the accountability of those who govern to those whom they govern.
By no choice of his, but by the simple fact of his rank within this system of Roman Law, such a figure as Cardinal Law in Boston, like any other bishop, caught though he was in the headlights of a condition that is the fundamental commonplace throughout the Church so governed, was constituted judge of his accusers. How could he escape this? Early in the debacle, his diocesans attempted to construct an association of the existing parish councils, bodies of the most devoted of all his Catholic people: a much milder venture than the better-known Voice of the Faithful. The inevitable response, in terms of the law as constituted, was to reject the association as something built other than on the executive's will, hence potentially divisive. Much later in the year, shortly before his resignation, he did finally agree to meet Voice of the Faithful representatives themselves, but his initial observation to them was that he wished they had sought his permission before forming their association. The Cardinal was accountable, not by his own choice but by the situation common to all his fellow bishops, only to higher authority. Calls for accountability from below could only be anomaly.
Is this form of legal structure of the nature of Christianity? By no means. Christianity, as Chesterton once told us, has not been tried and failed. Instead it was found difficult and never tried.
We are often told that the Church is no democracy, and the reasoning has been, essentially, that this Roman imperial system is the form of its law. But that has nothing whatever to do with Christian principle. It was adopted only because it was the most obvious law available at the time when the Church first found itself so extensive an institution as to need some such structure of order. It has had so long a tenure in the Church's experience that it will be a painfully intricate thing to extract ourselves from its tentacles, should we so choose, but that is the enterprise that our current predicament demands. It will demand a longer commitment than the duration of a Council of the Church, but its initiation is properly the work of a Council.
Doubtless many of the authority figures who reign in the Church would find it much more comfortable to resist any accountability. They've lived without it as long as they've had their jobs. But the situation has become untenable now. The executive chair in the Church-as-corporation currently stands empty. This must pose a dilemma for our present Pope, a centralizing figure who yet asks so earnestly for the thoughts of all Christians on how his office may better contribute to unity in the Church. It has got to emerge as the main topic of discussion when the cardinals meet to elect his successor. The man who emerges from that conclave, unless it has been a conventicle of simple intransigence, will know that this is the top item on his plate.
Alternative structures of law, as models for order in our enormous Church, are hard to come by, and we can hardly expect that a system of order faithfully Christian in its inspiration will come easily or quickly. We are much attached, in the United States, to the Common Law system of justice that we inherited from English experience. Common Law, built on the binding force of precedent, does produce accountability, rendering the rulers as responsible to the law as are the subjects. It has fabricated a thick planting of the land with precedent laws that bind the ruler as well as the subject, and thus protect the individual from the arbitrary will of authority. So much so good! It has been the seedbed of as much democracy as we have yet attained. But it too has its dark side, in its massively adversarial and vindictive character. Our American culture has become savagely punitive and vengeful under its aegis, as witness, among other things, its attachment to the death penalty. It can make no more claim to be proper to Christian life than can the Roman model.
What remains? There are, of course, multiple systems of law we could draw on, many of which are free of either the arbitrary, unaccountable character of the Roman Law or the exclusively retributive character of the Common Law. Many of these systems of justice exist among peoples we in the West tend to look at patronizingly, as having civilizations less complex than ours. Yet South Africans, seeking a more wholesome system of justice than they received from the European colonists, found much of value in the native African concepts of ubuntu. Lawyers and judges in our country, and in some parts of Europe and Australia, have experimented with systems of Restorative Justice, in which the objective is the restoration of relations in society rather than mere retribution, but these remain a novelty, still in their teething stage. Those so inclined have found some useful lessons in the practices of American Indians, the circle-sentencing concept among their most attractive features. None of these, though helpful, have specifically the inspiration of Christian Gospel behind them, but neither has our current Roman-Law-inspired law of the Church.
Are we capable, then, of constructing a system of internal order for our Church that would genuinely spring from sources within the Christian Gospel tradition? The process would have to begin by recognizing the profoundly a-Christian and even anti-Christian character of the law we presently have, disruptive of Christian living, corrosive, as we are seeing in the sex scandal, of the most fundamental values of Christian faith. We would have to reflect long and carefully to build an ordered Church community that truly related to values of that faith, and could not expect to construct it at one stroke. We have a time before us to learn some of the humility that is so conspicuously lacking in the system by which we now operate.
The Second Vatican Council in fact went some distance toward constructing such a system in the first two chapters of Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, but they have since been negated, first by a distrustful period of anxiety, and then by a concentrated period of clawing back from any tendencies toward the accountability of those who govern.
Is this indeed the work of a Council? We may well believe so, and one much needed in the face of the deservedly low esteem into which the governance of the Church has fallen. The Council would need to face squarely both of these outstanding questions: the sexuality question and that of law and structure. On the sexuality question the Church needs to hear from many persons of authority, intellectual and spiritual, other than bishops. Just as much, on the matter of law and a structure of service, humility and accountability, many other than the bishops of the Church need to be heard and respectfully consulted.
The crisis of the sexual abuse of minors by priests, not merely a Bostonian or an American problem but an Irish, a French, an Austrian, an Australian, a Canadian, a Polish, an Italian and, universally, a Church problem, so long smoldering but only so recently exploding in our faces after long concealment, has made these questions so acute that they can hardly be evaded any longer.
We face challenges to the basic credibility of our Church, and hence of our teaching, on no less a scale than those of the 16th century. The Catholic Church responded poorly then, and paid with centuries of division and dissension among Christian believers when its mere defensiveness turned the attempted Reformation into a lasting breach. If we should treat the present crisis as less serious than it is we can expect to see disruption of a comparable sort.