FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL CALLS FOR DISCLOSURE,
ACCOUNTABILITY AT BISHOPS' CONFERENCE
Lay Reform Group Sets Expectations for "Accountability
Phase"
of Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis
St. Louis, Mo., June 19, 2003 -- Voice of the Faithful (VOTF),
the worldwide movement of lay Catholics that came into prominence
in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis, made several announcements
today in a press briefing held before the first session of the U.S.
Catholic Bishops' Conference got underway.
Why VOTF Came to the Conference
Spokesperson Luise Dittrich announced that VOTF "is here in St.,
Louis because we have committed ourselves to engage our bishops
in dialogue, while holding them accountable for their actions, inactions
and roles regarding clergy sexual abuse. We're also here to bear
witness to the ongoing suffering of victim/survivors, and to call
for lay Catholics across the U.S. to shed apathy and join our mission
of cleansing and healing.
"We've come to insist on full disclosure of documents and reports
that are made to the bishops at this conference, such as Saturday's
planned interim report from the National Review Board. In the current
climate of distrust, the bishops must bend over backwards towards
openness and transparency, or else be seen as lacking the moral
will to follow through on their commitments, and perpetuating the
culture of secrecy that caused this mess."
VOTF Leader Krueger Called for Truth
and Disclosure
Steve Krueger, VOTF executive director, said, "As more and varied
revelations continue to assault us, we find ourselves on the threshold
of a new 'accountability phase.' As we look to the frontier of accountability
today, the first landmark we see on the horizon is truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth -- so help us God.
"Last year the bishops gave us their words and their good intentions.
But as we entered this conference it was disturbing to learn that
65 of the country's 195 dioceses -- almost one-third -- had not
responded to the NRB questionnaire to assess their diocese. Today,
we wait to hear on the progress that has been made in the past 12
months. Ultimately, the entire USCCB will be judged on their actions,
not their words."
Krueger concluded, "Accountability is essential to the very survival
of the Catholic Church. It is the bridge by which trust can be restored."
Positive Report Came from VOTF-Brooklyn
Melissa Gradel, spokesperson for VOTF-Brooklyn, reported that in
the face of a diocesan ban on VOTF meetings on Church property,
"Six VOTF leaders and five representatives of the diocese sat down
together and found plenty of common ground. When we explained what
VOTF is about and what we hoped to accomplish in Brooklyn, I think
[the bishops] realized that we are not the enemy, but concerned
members of the Catholic family.
"Ultimately, [his fact-finding] committee recommended to Bishop
Daily that he rescind the ban and he did. He issued a statement
saying that he had found VOTF documents to be in accord with Church
teachings and expressing his hope that his decision might enable
all of us to better achieve the needed healing in our Church."
VOTF-Arizona Reported Turmoil, Anger and
Shame
Sandy Simonson, spokesperson for VOTF-Arizona, reported that "the
reaction of Arizona Catholics [to recent events involving Bishop
Thomas O'Brien] has been one of shock, outrage, sadness and shame.
"We are ashamed that priests in our diocese have sexually abused
members of their congregations. We are furious that these revelations
of abuse have taken so many years to be disclosed and dealt with
by our bishop, and that external legal and media forces were required
to bring out the truth. We are grateful that we have a County Attorney
willing to use his office to pursue the truth of this abuse and
the episcopal malfeasance that enabled it.
"Perhaps the saddest lesson is that while Bishop O'Brien refused
to meet with concerned laity, he was willing to negotiate structural
leadership change with the county attorney. More shocking is that
the Vatican will sooner cede power to civil authorities than negotiate
change with the Catholic Faithful."
Simonson concluded her remarks with a comment on the recent tragic
turn of events in Phoenix: "Sadly, the events in the Diocese of
Phoenix were eclipsed this week by a tragic accident and the arrest
of Bishop O'Brien for leaving the scene of a fatal accident. We
have a sense of profound sadness as we pray for the family of James
Reed, as well as Bishop O'Brien and his family."
VOTF Released New Survey Results
Also today, Voice of the Faithful released the results of a June
e-survey of their members that explored two questions:
-
"What qualites do you think are important to have in a bishop?"
-
"What is your assessment of the state of the crisis?"
Members who were surveyed responded at an overwhelming rate of
40%, and indicated that the top three qualities they were seeking
in their next bishop were:
- "willingness to work
cooperatively, respectfully, and with trust with laity and clergy"
- "integrity"
- "spiritual presence"
When asked whether they agreed or disagreed that "most of the damaging
news about clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has already
been disclosed," only 26% agreed. When asked if they believed that
"the bishop of my diocese is working to restore trust," just 31%
agreed. When asked if they believed that "Catholic bishops are genuinely
committed to cleaning up the clergy sexual abuse crisis," a scant
23% agreed. And when asked if they believed that "the Vatican is
genuinely committed to cleaning up the clergy sexual abuse crisis,"
a mere 11% agreed.
A Cross-Section of VOTF Nationwide Represented at Briefing
Besides representatives from VOTF-Boston, VOTF-Brooklyn and VOTF-Arizona,
the organization showed unity and scope by introducing regional
coordinator Lola McIntyre from VOTF-Indianapolis and new members
Ken Parker and Jim Hone from VOTF-St. Louis. Also introduced as
honored guests at the briefing were SNAP leaders Barbara Blaine
and Mark Serrano, as well as Mr. Serrano's parents.
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