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

For Immediate release

Fairbanks, Alaska, plans to file for protection under the federal bankruptcy statutes

February 15, 2008 - The recent announcement that the diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, plans to file for protection under the federal bankruptcy statutes is only the latest reminder of the tragic effects of the mishandling and neglect, by the Catholic hierarchy, of the sexual abuse scandal. “These awful consequences fall primarily on the victims of this abuse, who will never fully recover,” said Mary Pat Fox, President of Voice of the Faithful. “But the impact extends also to the morale of our good priests and falls heavily on our dioceses, large and small, rich and poor, from Massachusetts to California, from Arizona to Alaska, to all points in between and indeed throughout the world. And as yet there is no acknowledgement by our bishops of their culpability for, at a minimum, mismanaging the crisis. In fact, many prelates, here and in the Vatican, dare to claim that the problem has been solved,” said Fox.

//////end//////

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.