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

For Immediate Release

VOTF Calls for Accountability from Spokane Diocese

April 26, 2007 - Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is disappointed that the survivors of abuse in the Diocese of Spokane will not see the same justice as their neighbors in the Archdiocese of Portland. “It is essential that Church officials be held accountable for these deplorable acts. To do that diocesan personnel records must be released.” said Mary Pat Fox, President of VOTF. “Catholics need to know what they knew and when they knew it; it is especially relevant since Bishop Skylstad was once a house mate of Fr. Patrick O’Donnell who has admitted to molesting dozens of children. We need to know what role he played as well as the role of his predecessor bishops. The abuses covered in this settlement go back to the 1930s.”

Fox went on to say, “While Bishop Skylstad has pledged to support elimination of Statute of Limitations legislation, we hope this will include both civil as well as criminal statutes.”

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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.