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

For Immediate Release

VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL CALLS
FOR JUSTICE AS WELL AS PENITENCE

December 15, 2006 - "At last!”, said Mary Pat Fox, president of Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) in response to Vatican preacher, Father Raniero Cantalamessa’s call for a worldwide day of fasting and penitence to ask forgiveness for the Roman Catholic Church’s clergy sex abuse scandal. “The Vatican has come a long way from their previous pronouncements that the clergy abuse problem was created by the media or that it was just a problem limited to a few localities. This statement less than two months after Pope Benedict’s instruction for bishops to establish the truth, ensure justice is respected and bring healing to all affected by these “egregious crimes” gives VOTF members worldwide hope. Our hope is that five years after the scandal erupted in Archdiocese of Boston, Vatican officials will now be more willing to fully grapple with the enormity of this continuing crisis.”

“ While this is a significant gesture, it is not sufficient to cure the terrible disease that has plagued our church. We need justice and accountability. Not only should the guilty clergy be punished but also those in power who enabled these crimes to take place over so many decades should be held accountable for their actions. The bishops who protected predators should also embrace the long tradition of naming the sin that has been the mark of the Catholic Church’s healthy understanding of healing and reconciliation. There are bishops who failed in their leadership; the Church needs a direct expression of their sorrow and responsibility.” said Fox.

VOTF also calls upon the Church do all they can to bring justice to those who have suffered because of the abuse they have received from members of the clergy. This includes fair recompense for survivors as well as cooperating, rather than opposing revision of civil laws in regard to sexual abuse. Justice also requires accused priests to be given much timelier due process. Ultimately a shared responsibility among priests and laity is the best way to rid this evil from our beloved Church.

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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. VOTF has over 35,000 members from every U.S. state and 37 foreign countries.