Contact: John Moynihan, jmoynihan@votf.org, (617) 558-5252, (617) 680-2131 cell

For Immediate release

Voice of the Faithful Protests Bishop's Failure to Implement the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

Five years ago in response to news of a clergy abuse scandal that shocked the nation, the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People(Charter) and pledged to support its implementation. One Bishop, Fabian Bruskewitz of the Diocese of Lincoln NE, has steadfastly refused to be subject to the Charter. In an article in his own diocesan newspaper the South Nebraska Register he admitted that he refuses to implement the Charter that he has failed to mandate diocese-wide background checks for those working with children and is not implementing "safe environment" programs. Failure to implement these basic actions put thousands of children in jeopardy.

"This failure to react responsibly to the greatest crisis the Church has endured in at least 500 years indicts not only Bishop Bruskewitz but also the effectiveness of the USCCB," said Mary Pat Fox, President of Voice of the Faithful. "The full Conference passed the Charter overwhelmingly in 2002. The Bishops pledged to use 'fraternal correction' for those bishops who did not abide by the Charter but in five years no Bishop has 'corrected' Bishop Bruskewitz. If the USCCB is to be credible it must take action whenever their mandate meets willful or negligent collapse."

"This is not the only area where Bishops have failed in their responsibility towards correcting fellow Bishops who refuse to abide by the decisions of the Conference," continued Fox. "While the USCCB has encouraged its members to release full financial statements that are accountable and transparent, painfully few Bishops have heeded the Conference's advice. If we are ever going to restore trust and vibrancy to our Church, we must put an end to the climate of secrecy and clericalism that continues to thwart a genuinely Christian response to the needs of the faith community."

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Press contact

John Moynihan (617) 558-5252, (617) 680 2131 ©

About Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) VOTF is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group’s mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church teaching.