By the way…

Following the refusal by the Boston Archdiocese to accept funds raised by VOTF's Voice of Compassion Fund for charities hurt by a decline in donations to the Church, a well-known regional newspaper columnist wrote that VOTF should declare victory "and leave" since the Church had shown its true colors and couldn't be worthy of continued efforts at dialogue (www.bostonglobe.com and click on Eileen McNamara). We reprint a response to that column by MA Survivor Support Group activist Steve Sheehan. Steve speaks for thousands of Catholics, regardless of diocese. He is a parishioner at St. Ignatius of Loyola, Chestnut Hill, MA.

I respectfully disagree with Ms. McNamara that we should declare victory and quietly leave; that change cannot occur.

I am one who refuses to walk (or run) away from a good fight. As I said before, when Cardinal Law finally resigned, and I quoted Sir Winston Churchill, "This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning!"

I would love to hear that there are many more out there whose sense of outrage is so strong that capitulation is a word reserved for the hierarchy. To quit now, when we have achieved so much, would be disastrous. The hierarchy has been waiting us out to see if we would eventually just go away. Why should we consider surrendering when we have so many victories behind us: resignations, release of documents, fear of meeting with us, fear of loss of control, etc.

They try to marginalize us. They try to wait us out. They hope we will trip over our own coattails and make their life easier. They are scared to death of coming out into the open, to meet us on a level playing field, and to tell the truth and hear the truth. The thought that the truth will be known paralyzes them.

They hide behind their walls and cathedrals. They hide behind tradition and custom. They hide behind their attorneys and insurers. They hide behind their cloaks of secrecy, power and self-importance.

Now is not the time to walk away. Now is the time to march forward and challenge them continually until they cave in and recognize the role and baptismal mission of the laity in the Catholic Church.

Now is the time to stop asking for their cooperation and to demand that they fulfill their roles and allow the laity to fill ours, remove all bans, accept all donations and, most of all, come forth into the light and do the right thing by the survivors, the faithful laity, and our excellent clerical base which serves Christ and the Church.

If I am wrong, will someone please tell me?

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