Priests in Venice Diocese
Take Bishop to Task

A southwest Florida television station, WBBH-TV (NBC2), has obtained a letter written by 10 priests of the Diocese of Venice that was sent to the U.S. apostolic nuncio. The letter points to “grave concerns” with regard to the administration of Bishop Frank J. Dewane. The station respected the confidentiality of the priests who signed the letter by not airing their names. You may click here to read and view WBBH-TV’s story, which includes a link to the letter.

Nun Justice Project Asks Pope to Remove LCWR Mandate

The Nun Justice Coalition, a group of progressive Catholic organizations that includes VOTF, has written an open letter to Pope Francis asking him to remove the Vatican mandate censuring the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and to apologize to theologian Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, CJ, for Vatican chief of doctrine Cardinal Gerhard Müller's personal attack. In the same document in which Müller criticized Dr. Johnson, he also accused U.S. nuns of not adhering to the reform agenda the Vatican has imposed on the LCWR.

Click here to read the open letter. If you want to support the sisters, here’s what you can do:

1. Sign the online petition asking Pope Francis to retract the mandate and apologize to Dr. Johnson.

2. Download the Nun Justice letter, add your own comments and send it to Pope Francis.
   
3. Tweet Pope Francis @Pontifex "We stand with the Sisters!" 
   
4. To help Pope Francis learn more about feminist theology, send him a copy of Dr. Johnson's book, Consider Jesus, in Spanish or send Pope Francis a copy of Dr. Johnson's book, Quest for the Living God, in Spanish. 

You may address correspondence to Pope Francis:
His Holiness, Pope Francis PP
00120 Via del Pellegrino
Cita Del Vaticano

Focus

Highlighting issues we face working together to Keep the Faith, Change the Church

Time to Face Facts: Pope Francis Agrees with the Doctrinal Assessment of LCWR
“Pope Francis and the women of LCWR share a deeply sacramental understanding of their calling to serve those on the margins of our world. They agree that it is in ministering to the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable that they touch the wounded body of Christ. Where they seem to disagree sharply, however, is in their understanding of religious life as a prophetic life form.” By Jamie Manson, National Catholic Reporter

Despite Ban, Abuser Priest Remained in Ministry for 10 Years
“The Seattle archdiocese has been harshly criticized for not publicly releasing the name of a priest removed from ministry a decade ago for the sexual exploitation of a teen. The priest then socialized with parishioners and performed occasional baptisms, weddings and funerals despite his removal until his past recently came to the attention of some parishioners. The former chair and vice chair of the board that reviewed sexual abuse allegations in 2004 has leveled unvarnished reproof.” By Dan Morris-Young, National Catholic Reporter

Is the Association of Catholic Priests Slipping Back into Clericalism?
“Can the ACP part company with a clericalism that exploited the vulnerability of those for whom clergy had a duty of care? Can it build a durable alliance with lay people who have had a surfeit of high-level clerical double standards? We must wait and see.” By Sean O’Conaill, The Irish Times

Vatican Sacks Priest after Sexual Abuse Investigation
“In an unprecedented move, the Church has removed Father Thomas Mullen despite Crown prosecutors deciding not to proceed with the case against him because too much time had passed between the alleged offences. Leading Catholic sources said the move was indicative of a ‘new resolve’ to get to grips with the abuse cases that have rocked the Church in recent years and the willingness of new bishops to address matters.” By The Herald Scotland

Bishops That Left Abuse Unreported Face Police
“Church officials have warned that Catholic dioceses and bishops who ignored complaints over alleged sexual abuse by priests will be reported to police for prosecution. Complaints of clerical sexual abuse stretching back almost 70 years are the subject of a review by the Catholic Church in Scotland, which insists any serious complaint since 1947 must be passed on to the police even if both alleged victim and priest are dead.” By Stephen McGinty, The Scotsman

Pope Setting Up Board to Hear Appeals of Clerical Sex Abuse Offenders
“The Vatican (has) indicated Pope Francis was establishing a commission under the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to examine the appeals of priests punished for sexual abuse of minors and other very serious crimes.” By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

Click here to read the rest of this issue of Focus...

10th Year Conference Documents
Remember the 10th Year conference? Many of those document nets provide the foundations for ongoing projects and for significant steps towards reform. They are available on web pages related to those projects, but you also can find them below are in one convenient place for online reading or to download and print.

Asserting Our Rights -- one-page summary of our rights and responsibilities as the People of God
Women Deacons: How Long? -- paper on restoring the female diaconate to the Church (15 pages)
Suggested Readings: Women in the Church -- additional resources and information on women's roles (9 pages)
The Clerical Culture -- three-page description of the culture that feeds sex-abuse and other scandals
Ordination for Married Men -- petition to USCCB to seek same exemption for married Catholics that allows married non-Catholic ministers to become Catholic priests
Bishop Selection Primer -- two-page summary of the VOTF model for lay input into bishop selection
Financial Accountability -- one-page summary of initiative to foster financial transparency and accountability at diocesan level
SOL Advocacy Guide -- guidelines for those who wish to work within their states for reform of laws that serve to shield child abusers rather than protect children (22 pages)
Ten Steps to Reform -- steps VOTF advocates to help reform the Church
Church Origins -- VOTF study guide (21 pages) on the origins of the Church; related document shows the TImeline scriptural scholars generally assign to the writings of the New Testament (3 pages)
Parish Read -- a simple approach to working within your parish on lay-organized projects; this template focuses on reading a book together

Learn More About Pope Francis
Catholic Theological Union has put together a video and audio series of speakers discussing various parts of Pope Francis’ exhortation.  Just click on this link and it will take you directly to the introductory video and the contents of the series: http://learn.ctu.edu/joy-gospel-tablecontents

Coming to a Theater Near You!!

LOS ANGELES AREA PREMIERE!
BAND OF SISTERS 2012, Mary Fishman, USA, 88 min.

June 24-28, 2014
LAEMMLE THEATERS
West L.A., Pasadena, and North Hollywood
Band of Sisters tells the story of Catholic nuns and their work for social justice after Vatican II in the 1960s. Weaving history with current day events, the film follows two sisters over the course of four years as they work for the rights of immigrant detainees. It also explores the cutting edge work of other sisters in affordable housing, the movement to close the School of the Americas, holistic health care for low-income people, and more.

For Catholics who wonder what became of the nuns they knew in habits and convents many years ago, for activists who may feel profoundly discouraged given the problems of today's world, for women seeking equality in their church, and for people of all faiths yearning for an inclusive and contemplative spirituality, Band of Sisters challenges us to ask what really matters in life. 

This indie hit film premiered in Chicago in September 2012, and since then has drawn audiences at independent movie theaters, art museums, colleges, convents, retreat centers, and churches in over 70 cities around the U.S.

To find out where the movie is playing and to buy tickets, please go to : http://www.laemmle.com/films/38228
For more about the film: www.bandofsistersmovie.com

Deepen Your Faith This Summer
Registration for Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry summer courses are now open. There are courses for priests and lay people as well as a Jesuit immersion class. To learn more, go to  http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/stm/summer.html.
Catholic Theological Union also has programs to learn more about Catholicism and strengthen your faith this summer – please go to http://www.ctu.edu/summer-institute.

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.