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15 Things Any Catholic Can Do
- Pray for the victims and for the moral renewal of the Church.
Read the Bible. Return daily to your faith as the source of your
spiritual sustenance.
- If you believe in your local parish priest, tell him or write
him a note of support. Support all the priests of integrity.
- Do not contribute blindly or on auto-pilot. Research your charity(ies)
of choice. Be explicit about why and how you give your money.
For example, "I give to the Church because of (this reason)."
Or, "I give to this charity to take care of the poor because of
(another reason)."
- Find out if your top one or two charities are affected by reduced
Catholic donations. If so, volunteer your time, raise money, or
give money.
- Find one other concerned Catholic. Ask him or her how they
feel, and LISTEN. Together, fight apathy in the pews; this crisis
affects us all.
- Form a VOTF affiliate group in your parish.
- Learn about victims' support groups (e.g. the Survivors' Network
of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP)or
The Linkup). Donate what
you can afford to their survivors' funds.
- If you see a victim speak, tell him or her that you admire
their courage and are praying for them.
- Read VOTF newsletters. Distribute them. Find three others to
join VOTF if they support the organization's mission and goals.
- Get the phone number or address of your Bishop's office (www.usccb.org)
and call or write him explaining how you feel.
- Contact or write your state Attorney General and insist that
any and all cases of sex abuse by priests be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law. Insist that your state not exempt the
Roman Catholic Church from reporting responsibility in sex abuse
cases. (This had been the case in Boston, MA, and was only recently
changed, partially because of public outrage).
- Ask a child between grades 4 and 12 what they think of the
crisis and LISTEN to them.
- Write or call the U.S. Bishops office (202-541-3000), and insist
that they have a national policy for sex abuse reporting and monitoring
which includes a laity oversight board. Insist that they honestly
and consistently implement their own Charter
for the Protection of Children and Young People, which they
developed in Dallas in June, 2002.
- Write a personal note on why you stay in the Church and why
you continue to believe. Share it with a friend or with VOTF (contact@votf.org).
- Write a Letter to the Editor (or call your major newspaper)
explaining how you feel about the scandal.
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Find a Parish
Voice affiliate in your area.
Click
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Voice of the Faithful is recognized as one of the
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VOTF™
Mission Statement
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.
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Our Goals
1. To support survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
2. To support priests of integrity
3.To shape structural change within the Catholic Church.
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Pray Each Day
at Noon
Jesus, Lord and Brother, help us with our faithfulness.
Please hear our voice, and let our voice be heard. Amen. More
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