10th Year Conference Documents

If you missed the conference, or missed a chance to pick up the information in our VOTF booth in the Exhibit Hall, here is a second chance! Most of these documents also will be available on related web pages, but here they 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