News from National
An Easter Blessing
 Risen Lord, you have taught us to face life and death with integrity and courage. In these bleak days of revelations of sexual abuse in our Church, help us all to respond with transparency and honesty that we may be cleansed of our sins and rise to newness of life. May we follow you with courage, generosity and fidelity to life in your Spirit of unconditional love. And may we, the Body of Christ, be faithful witnesses to and co-creators of a renewed way of being your followers in this world.
Ron DuBois
For the Spiritual & Communal Growth Team
VOTF Statement on Rigali as Envoy
Voice of the Faithful 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.
“Like Cardinal Bernard Law, formerly of the Archdiocese of Boston, who was appointed archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome after the clergy sexual abuse scandal drove him out of Boston, Cardinal Rigali is being rewarded instead of being censured for overseeing a diocese harboring such heinous crimes as those reported in Philadelphia by a grand jury this past February,” said Dan Bartley, VOTF president.
In 1851, when St. John Neumann took up his new post as bishop of Philadelphia, his birthday fell on Passion Sunday. Now during Holy Week in 2011, Bartley concluded, we have to wonder what the sainted man, whose piety was renowned, would think of the scandal that occurred during his successor’s tenure.
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month
Run? Walk? Hop? Skip? Just Do Something!
There are numerous agencies, groups and communities that have special activities for child abuse awareness...
Is there a race or a walk for child sexual abuse awareness, or survivor support in your community? Find out, sign up, join in, or start one yourself.
Could your group or affiliate help? Spread the word—pick up your feet and move the message along:
STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE!!
 Don’t bury your head in the sand!
Some examples:
www.stopcsa.org/Race.html (DC)
www.bashfulostrich5K.org (Ohio)
www.compassionategathering.com (Walk across Oregon)
VOTF NATIONAL MEETING
Friday June 10, 2011 — 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Detroit Marriott Hotel at the Renaissance Center
Prior to the American Catholic Council Synod (June 10-12, 2011)
Church Reform: A Do-It-Yourself Job
Please join us to hear from team members working on bishop selection, women’s initiatives, statutes of limitations reforms, spiritual and communal growth, financial accountability ... and so much more.
Morning program (10 a.m. to Noon) features a report from President Dan Bartley and interactive presentations by our Voices in Action teams.
Afternoon program (1:30 to 3:30 p.m.) features Jason Berry and Fr. Tom Doyle discussing connections between the greatest Church scandals of today: sex abuse and coverups by the clergy, and the misuse of funds.
No registration required.
Happenings in Philadelphia
VOTF President Dan Bartley attended Msgr. William Lynn’s formal arraignment last Friday in Philadelphia and commented after the hearing. Lynn is charged with child endangerment. Dan’s comments: http://votf.org/vineyard/Apr21_2011/bartley.html
Philly Press Conference News Coverage
“Priests, former priest, teacher plead not guilty in Philadelphia” From newsworks.org, http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/
flexicontent/item/17453-15sppriest/
This story is also on youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_LqD3WK3cc&
feature=player_embedded
“Five Enter Not-Guilty Pleas in Philadelphia Archdiocese Child Sex Abuse Case,” From CBSPhilly.com, http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/04/15/
five-enter-not-guilty-pleas-in-philadelphia-
archdiocese-child-sex-abuse-case/
“Priests, ex-teacher plead not guilty in sex-abuse cases,” From philly.com, http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-16/news/
29425415_1_defrocked-priest-abuse-of-altar
-boys-monsignor-william-lynn
“Monsignor, Priests Plead Not Guilty,” From myfoxphilly.com, http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/
monsignor%2C-priests-plead-not-guilty-041511
“Five charged in Philadelphia Archdiocese child sex-abuse case,” From Philadelphia Inquirer
http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-16/news/
29425368_1_defrocked-priest-predatory-priests-grand-jury
“Four Catholic priests and an ex-teacher plead not guilty in Philadelphia sex abuse case,” From Irish Central, http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Four-Catholic-priests-and--an-ex-teacher-plead-not-guilty-in-Philadelphia-sex-abuse-case-120193744.html
FutureChurch Celebrates St. Mary of Magdala
This is the 15th year of FutureChurch celebrations of the feast of St. Mary of Magdala. Last year they organized the most international participation ever. Celebrations were held in 14 countries outside the US as part of 374 total programs highlighting unknown women leaders in the early Church.
Most celebrations were held in Catholic venues, such as parishes, retreat centers, college campuses, and small faith communities, but others were held in Protestant Churches, public outdoor spaces and even correctional facilities. For more information, go to http://www.futurechurch.org/blog/2010-st-mary-of-magdala-celebration-highlights/
When Pope John XXIII announced that the preparatory work for Vatican II was complete, he issued a motu proprio. A motu proprio is a papal statement which is prepared and signed by the pope himself and which states his personal wishes about a matter. In the hierarchy of papal pronouncement, motu proprio ranks quite high.
News from Members
Philadelphia Listening Session
On Wednesday April 13, a listening session was held at St. Katherine of Sienna Parish in Wayne. Bishop Timothy Senior, Monsignor Majores, and Mary Achilles (the governor-appointed victim advocate for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) were in attendance. I would estimate that there were approximately 300 people there. The laity was composed of half parents from the school and about half the older members of the parish (65+). The SOL bills in the legislature were brought up at least three times and we were told that the Archdiocese was not opposing them. We suggested that the Archdiocese promote the bills. Some of the parents who spoke were fearful for their children. Some were concerned about the pattern of credibly accused priests who had served in the parish. Many suggestions were made advising more transparency and accountability. The meeting lasted about two hours and many stayed later to talk with the vicar and bishop privately.
Gaile M. Pohlhaus, PhD.
Practical Theologian
Yakima VOTF
Yakima VOTF printed the following letter in their local paper.
Letter to the Catholic Community
In ancient times, when God’s people acknowledged grave sin and failure in faithfulness, prophets called for a time of public prayer and penance to repent of the wrongdoing, seek forgiveness, and recommit the nation to justice. We, as a Catholic community, are at such a time.
Invitation to Fast – We Catholics at Voice of the Faithful commit ourselves to the Good Friday Novena of prayer and fasting and invite all of our Catholic brothers and sisters, and the Christian community at large, to join us. We will fast — some from solid foods, others from meat and fish, and still others as they can — and we will pray each day the Novena from Thursday April 14 to Good Friday, April 22.
Novena Prayer
Site Seeing
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, says theologians should seek approval from Bishops before publishing books.
http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/wuerl-defends-stinging-rebuke-theologians-book
Philadelphia news covers Archbishop Carroll High School abuse case:
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/good_day_philadelphia/
%27catholics-4-change%27-on-ad-scandal
Catholics4Change posts letter to Cardinal Rigali
http://catholics4change.com/2011/04/07/letter-questions-for-cardinal-rigali-sent-certified-express-mail/
There are many voices in the Catholic Church...
http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/thoughts-post-tribal-catholicism
Where do we go from here?
http://malvern.patch.com/articles/where-do-we-go-from-here-3
Letter to the Editor
Archbishop Dolan has made a persuasive argument in his story of his airport encounter with an angry Catholic parent. The Archbishop told of the man who accosted him saying that he “can’t look at you or any other priest without thinking of a sexual abuser.”
Naturally, the Archbishop was upset and told the man that other occupations were also abusers. This is no doubt true, but doesn’t excuse the abuse by clergy. The man went on to say that the hierarchy knew of the abuse, “did nothing about it, and kept transferring the perverts around.”
For many, this has been a greater concern. It was the Bishops (and Cardinals) who, by protecting and transferring the abusers and concealing their crimes, did more damage than the priests. In Massachusetts, Father John Geoghan was accused of sexually abusing more than 130 children. As staggering a number as that is, Geoghan was just one of the abusers protected by Cardinal Law. The Cardinal is probably responsible for hundreds, perhaps thousands of victims.
The Archbishop defended the hierarchy by claiming that “the rate of sexual abuse among public school teachers is ten times higher than that of priests, and these abusers just get transferred around.” Assuming the rate of abuse among priests is 4% that would mean that 40% of New York City public school teachers are abusers. If true, there would seem little point in transferring an abusive teacher since, according to the Archbishop, almost half of the teachers in every school are pedophiles already.
Let us not quibble with the Archbishop over the numbers; his point was that the massive number of abusive teachers “just get transferred around.” This also seems a bit far fetched, but let us assume it is true for the sake of argument, and here is the heart of it: His Excellency is arguing that Bishops and Cardinals of the Catholic Church are no worse than the bureaucrats and politicians in the NY City school system. What Archbishop Dolan has proven is that the Bishops and Cardinals are no better than bureaucrats and politicians.
CM Williams
Questions, Comments?
Please send them to Siobhan Carroll, Vineyard Editor at Vineyard@votf.org. Unless otherwise indicated, I will assume comments can be published as Letters to the Editor. |
