Dear Friends and Members of Voice of the Faithful,
We have learned that Cardinal Roger Mahony has ordered Bishop Geoffrey Robinson not to speak at Church sites in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Robinson, as you may recall, is touring the U.S. to speak about his book Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus.
During his trip to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged that the sexual abuse crisis was very badly handled. In light of the Pope's comments, we believe that blocking an open and honest discussion about what caused the crisis, as Cardinal Mahony has done, is appalling.
The full content of Bishop Mahony's letter and our response are posted here, along with Bishop Robinson's own response and a supporting letter from an Australian colleague.
We believe that silencing courageous Catholics such as Bishop Robinson is deeply harmful to the Catholic Church.
During these difficult times, please keep Bishop Robinson and our beloved church in your prayers.
Dan Bartley, President
Voice of the Faithful
