Contact: John Moynihan, jmoynihan@votf.org, (617) 558-5252, (617) 680-2131 cell

For Immediate release

Voice of the Faithful Petitions Pope to Hold Bishops Accountable
for their Actions in Abuse Crisis

 Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) has sent a petition to Pope Benedict XVI signed by nearly 8,000 North American Catholics that asks the Pope to:

1.      Treat survivors of sexual abuse with the justice and compassion our faith demands.

2.      Hold bishops accountable to the people they serve.

3.      Embrace full participation of Catholic men and women in Church decision-making.

4.      Require full transparency and accountability in all governance matters.

In the accompanying cover letter, VOTF President Dan Bartley said: “We believe these steps will produce: (1) an open, transparent and accountable Church; (2) a participative Church embracing the gifts and talents of the baptized: and (3) a Church governed by compassion, informed by justice, empowered by equality, and animated to act collegially”.

In the letter to the Pope Bartley also stated:

“By meeting with survivors you sent a clear signal to bishops in the United States (and indeed throughout the world) that it is time to start treating survivors with the respect and compassion they deserve. By acknowledging the mishandling of the crisis, you have brought to the forefront the need for accountability for those bishops who transferred abusive priests from parish to parish, as well as the need to initiate structural changes that ensure that such a crisis can never happen again.

“Mindful of the many serious challenges facing our Church today, yet hopeful of a better tomorrow, VOTF seeks the transformation of our Church. We envision a Church that is open, transparent, and accountable. We imagine a Church that embraces the gifts and talents of all its members. We dream of a Church governed by compassion, informed by justice, empowered by equality, and animated to act collegially. We believe in collaboration among all members of our Church in order to achieve this transformation.” 

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Press contact

John Moynihan (617) 558-5252, (617) 680 2131 ©

About Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) VOTF is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group’s mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church teaching.