Press Releases

NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 1, 2011 – For 36 years, leaders of six Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland not only mishandled clergy sexual abuse and were not held accountable for abetting abuse, but also failed to establish reviews totally independent of Church influence, according to Voice of the Faithful’s reading of reports by Ireland’s National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church released Nov. 30.

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 23, 2011 – Young girls have been prohibited from serving Mass by the pastor of Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Arlington, Va.

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 3, 2011 – A serious flaw exists in the John Jay College report on the causes and context of the Catholic Church’s worldwide sexual abuse scandal, according to the worldwide Church reform group Voice of the Faithful. The report was made public earlier this year, and the VOTF board of trustees recently reached this conclusion after an internal committee studied the report for several months.

NEWTON, Mass., July 20, 2011 -- Cardinal Justin Rigali’s resignation as archbishop of Philadelphia shows clearly that the Vatican is beginning to hear faithful Catholic voices, according to reform group Voice of the Faithful.

Pope Benedict XVI accepted Rigali’s resignation letter yesterday, July 19, submitted as required last year when he turned 75, several months before he was expected to step down. His successor, Denver archbishop Charles Chaput, was announced during an archdiocesan press conference, also July 19.

NEWTON, Mass., June 29, 2011 – U.S. bishops must finally institute strong measures of fraternal correction when bishops fail to follow their own Charter for the Protection of Children and Young people after clergy are accused of child sexual abuse, according the Roman Catholic Church reform and abuse survivor support group Voice of the Faithful.

NEWTON, Mass., May 18, 2011 – A study released May 18 reports several contributing factors to the clergy child sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church that Voice of the Faithful, the worldwide Church reform group, has long noted.

NEWTON, Mass., May 6, 2011 – Sara Callard of Quincy has been named development coordinator for Voice of the Faithful, the 35,000-strong worldwide organization of Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and reform governance and guidance of the Church to include a greater voice for non-ordained faithful.

Callard has more than a decade of fundraising experience and will be coordinating VOTF’s major donor efforts, direct mail appeals, e-mail solicitations and grant writing.

NEWTON, Mass., April 211, 2011 – Voice of the Faithful, the worldwide organization working for Roman Catholic Church reform, views as disgraceful the Vatican’s recent appointment of Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, as special envoy to the bicentennial celebration of the birth of St. John Nepomuceno Neumann taking place in Prachatitz, Czech Republic, on June 18, 2011.

NEWTON, Mass., March 30, 2011 – American Catholic Council today called upon Catholics across the United States to set aside a day of prayer and fasting on Friday, April 15, for the renewal of the promises of the Holy Spirit in the Second Vatican Council. ACC is in the final stages of planning a national meeting in Detroit on Pentecost Weekend, June 10-12, 2011, to celebrate the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and to recommit Catholics to the renewal promised by Vatican II.