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Contact: Suzanne Morse 617-680-2131, smorse@votf.org
For Immediate Release
Voice of the Faithful Recommends Focus on Bishops’ Accountability,
Reiterates Opposition to Self-Audits as Part of Charter Review
Organization Highlights Bishops’ Proposed
Changes to Charter to Protect Children
Newton, Mass. – February 1, 2005 - Voice of the Faithful has submitted
an official set of recommendations for improving the Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People as part of a review process instituted
by the US Conference of Bishops (USCCB). Voice of the Faithful’s
submission commends the Bishops for some of the Bishop’s own proposed
changes – which Voice of the Faithful obtained after they were
circulated to all of the Bishops for comment. However, Voice of the Faithful
also expressed concerns about bishops’ proposals to soften language
within the Charter, and the continued reliance on self-auditing as the
chief means of enforcing the Charter.
The organization of lay Catholics released its comment and recommendations
during a mixed commission meeting of US and Vatican bishops. The meetings,
similar to those held in 2002 before the Charter was given the Vatican’s
recognition, are scheduled to be held at the Vatican this week. In November,
the organization called on the Bishops and the Vatican to work together
to create a meaningful sense of “Fraternal Correction.”
The bishops group had invited their fellow bishops and any other interested
group to submit comments about the Charter by mid-January as part of
a revision process instituted by the USCCB. Through a Task Force Voice
of the Faithful convened, the organization entered directly into the
Charter review process by commending the bishops for some of their own
proposed changes to the Charter, including language that broadens the
definition of sexual abuse, and a section that stipulates that every
effort must be made to restore the good name of any clergy member who
is falsely accused. However, Voice of the Faithful was critical of recommended
language changes which would make it seem that many requirements in the
charter were optional. The Voice of the Faithful Task Force also called
on the bishops to:
- Ensure that the
Charter revision “specifically
reference the conduct of bishops in addition to priests and deacons;”
- Invite the insights of Religious Women as consultors to the Ad Hoc Committee
overseeing enforcement of the Charter;
- Provide full funding to the Causes and Context study which seeks to determine
why the clergy sexual abuse scandal occurred and was so widespread;
- Provide full
funding to the USCCB’s office
of Child and Youth Protection.
Voice of the Faithful’s Task Force also strongly urged the bishops
to actively solicit and welcome input from the survivor community when
reviewing the Charter. The process for seeking input from outside groups
was not as active as it could have been, and clear guidelines were not
provided as to how outside groups could participate, VOTF officials observed.
The Task Force was comprised of Voice of the Faithful members from across
the U.S. A copy of the Voice of the Faithful’s completed submission
to the USCCB is attached.
Leaders of the Voice of the Faithful joined the review “in a spirit
of hope that the review and revision of the Charter will result in a
strong instrument for the protection of the innocent and vulnerable and
the production of a great good for the whole Church and society at large,” said
Kristine Ward, Vice President of Voice of the Faithful, in a letter to
Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis dated January 14th.
“Voice of the Faithful believes the success of the Charter will
come only when it is truly a part of parish life for all Catholics,” said
Ward in the letter. “We urge the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, the National Review Board, Voice of the Faithful and other organizations
of lay Catholics to cooperate in a major education campaign regarding
the Charter.”
Last November, Voice of the Faithful urged the Bishops to strengthen
the Charter, and to create systems of accountability to prevent further
abuse of children and young people in Catholic parishes. In December,
the organization formally asked the National Review Board, a panel of
prominent lay Catholics created by the USCCB and the Charter to ensure
accountability over the child safety protection policies, to urge the
Bishops to reverse the decision to go forward with the self-audits. Voice
of the Faithful joined with the Survivors Network of those Abused by
Priests in making this request.
“The Charter that the Bishops accepted in 2002 is an important
landmark in bringing accountability into the Catholic Church,” said
James E. Post, president of Voice of the Faithful. “Rebuilding
trust in the Church will take a long time, but it can only be done if
the idea of accountability is taken seriously and given substance. We
are pleased that the Ad Hoc Committee has proposed strengthened lay involvement
and a broader definition of sexual abuse, but we also believe that our
recommendations add an important lay perspective to this Charter revision.”
//end
About Voice of the Faithful: Voice of the Faithful (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 victim/survivors of abuse, support priests of integrity,
and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance
and harmony with Church teaching. VOTF’s supporting membership
exceeds 30,000 registered persons from 50 U.S. states, 39 countries and
210 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.
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