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NATIONAL
News
- Jim
Post delivered an address at SNAP’s June meeting in Chicago,
IL. Read
here.
- Cardinal
George, sadly, calls Church critics “enemies of the Church.” Read
more.
- What
the bishops passed – the Charter and Norms are on our
web site. For one recap, visit
here.
- In
July 2004, the Vineyard reported that one of the
foremost authorities in Catholic social attitudes, Dr.
William D'Antonio, received a grant to carry out a study
of Voice of the Faithful. The study has been completed
and its findings will be presented at Boston College
in October. as part of the Church in the 21st Century
initiative. Watch the BC web
site for details.
- Senator
Rick Santorum (R Penn.) still thinks Boston's liberal
environment
gave rise to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic
Church, despite global facts to the contrary. VOTF president
Jim Post responded to the Senator's statements: "Senator
Santorum's comments reflect an ignorance of the facts
and a refusal to recognize the effects of sexual abuse
on thousands of innocent people. Research studies by
the Catholic Church document a tragedy of vast proportions,
affecting every diocese in the United States. We ask
that Senator Santorum work to prevent sexual abuse instead
of pandering to sociological
biases and falsehoods." For more on the Senator's statements,
click
here.
REGIONAL
News
- Sacramento,
CA diocese arrives at $35 million settlement of abuse
cases. Read more at MSNBC.com and
the Catholic
Courier . In addition, the Santa Rosa, CA diocese
reached a $7 million settlement. Both cases were filed
after California enacted a law establishing a one-year
window in 2003 during which victims of childhood sexual
abuse could file civil suits previously barred by the
statute of limitations.
- Louisiana’s
state legislature last month approved a bill extending
the statute of limitations on child sex abuse crimes
to 30 years from 10 years. Read
More.
- Visit
VOTF Australia web
site and see the work they are doing
- Kris
Ward tells reported that Ohio VOTF affiliates' hard work
and unflagging support for justice is paying off. "The
OH state senator Robert S. Spada, Assistant Majority
Floor Leader of the Ohio State Senate, was the chair
of the Ohio senate committee that brought the extension
of the statute of limitations bill to the senate floor.
The bill includes a one-year window for those abused
in the past 35 years to file a civil suit even if the
statute of limitations has passed in their cases. Senate
Bill 17 passed unanimously in the Ohio State Senate and
the survivors who testified in day-long hearings were
given a standing ovation by the Ohio senators. The bill
has now been sent to the Ohio House of Representatives." Senator
Spada joined VOTF in Indianapolis on Friday afternoon
and along with SNAP’s Barbara Blaine shared the ins and
outs, ups and downs, of dealing with state statutes of
limitation.
- SAVE
THE DATE - Sunday October 23 at Boston College: A
symposium on Voice of the Faithful as a Social Movement
in the Catholic Church. The symposium begins with Bill
D'Antonio and Tony Pogorec providing an overview of
their study based on surveys of, and interviews with,
VOTF founders, current leaders, and national members.
Commentators will include Fr. Robert Imbelli, Lisa
Sowle Cahill, Robert Gamson and others. See more details
in the August Vineyard.
- Don’t
miss Justice Anne Burke speaking at the Weston Jesuit
School of Theology on October 7 and NCR Vatican
correspondent John Allen speaking at Boston College on
October 14 at Boston College. Click
here for details.
- VOTF
Winchester, MA is selling their original-art Christmas
cards again. Bob Morris writes: “In 2003, our Winchester,
MA affiliate designed and produced four Christmas cards
to help benefit survivors. We have raised over $6000
the last two years, and have donated these funds to provide
scholarships for survivors to attend the annual SNAP
conference (2004) and to subsidize survivors to visit
Link-Up's Farm in Kentucky (2005). We are aiming for
$10,000 this year and are asking other affiliates to
participate in this drive.” Contact rmorrisvotf@aol.com
- Boston
VOTF is fast completing work on a new initiative. The
effort is called the “Boston Initiative” and is modeled
on the successful outcome of the St. Albert’s closing/closing
rescinded experience. To learn more, subscribe to their
twice-monthly newsletter – contact Dorothy Kennedy at kendor713@yahoo.com.
Vince
Grenough of VOTF Louisville, Kentucky sent the following
item just before our convocation. It remains pertinent
because, as we learned at the convocation, the good and
hard work of Voice of the Faithful has more support than
we may know.
“This
past Sunday five of us at our parish (St. William in the
west end of Louisville) who are going to the Convocation
were called up in front of the gathered community after the
Eucharistic Liturgy. We stood in a circle with our Pastoral
Administrator (a lay woman), our Director of Formation (another
lay woman) and our Sacramental Moderator (a man). The community
all stood and raised their outstretched hands over us as
Fr. John Burke, a true priest of integrity, prayed:
‘Good
and Loving God, we ask Your blessing on our members who will
soon be participating in a Convocation of Voice of the Faithful.
As members of Voice of the Faithful, we pray that they will
continue to be faithful to the call they have heard to be
instruments of healing and reform in Your Church. May their
voices be heard, and may they continue to be beacons of light
and hope in a Church that is so much in need of both. This
we pray in Jesus' name. Amen’
The
church erupted in applause, along with a few whoops of approval.
We
want you to know that every one of you, every single member
and supporter of Voice of the Faithful, were in our thoughts
and in our hearts at that moment. We hope you also felt the
energy of that blessing and that you also experience renewed
enthusiasm to live out the Mission of Voice of the Faithful
with courage, perseverance and charity.”
International
News
MaryAnne
Gervais of VOTF Saanich Peninsula, Canada wrote the following
about the report of the Ontario bishops’ Spring ‘05 meeting:
“Unbelieveable
- not a mention of Protecting Children from Sexual abuse
in the Diocese; and not a mention of the Ontario Task Force
for the prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children by priests,
religious or laity within the Diocese. This is astounding.
How
is this possible? This same-sex marriage issue has become
a red-herring to take heat off the real problems in our Church.
Imagine! The Church lets pedophile priests take and give
Eucharist but they are actually excommunicating politicians
who vote for same-sex marriage in our country. One example
is a member of parliament, whom I know well, was refused
communion for voting ‘yes’ in Parliament for same-sex marriage.
This is a great family man, a great Catholic man and a great
citizen.”
For
the bishops’ report, click
here.
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