Contact: Janet Hauter | jmwhauter@aol.com | (847) 366-2761

For Immediate release

Voice of the Faithful Calls for Accountability

Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) supports the $12.675M settlement decision in Chicago for 16 victims of clergy sexual abuse as a move toward justice.  With that settlement come many questions:

• Why is there a trend in the Catholic hierarchy to promote/reward those who were guilty of criminal acts in the sexual abuse of children? Cardinal Law of Boston was not indicted as an enabler but rather was given a palace in Rome and a Basilica to oversee.  All those in the Archdiocese of Chicago who had knowledge of and opted not to act in the Daniel McCormack case were promoted within the Archdiocese.
  
  
• Why has no bishop or cardinal, including Cardinal George, ever been held accountable for his role in the victimizations?
  
  
• Why did Cardinal George ignore reports about Daniel McCormack while promoting him instead of removing him from ministry?
  
  
• Since Cardinal George is currently the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, what is the cumulative cost of the lack of pastoral leadership and ineffective management to our Church?
  
  
• Why didn’t Cardinal George abide by the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People for which he was one of the authors?

“Cardinal George and his brother bishops lack the pastoral leadership and moral integrity to do the right thing when faced with wrongdoing of his priests and colleagues.  Trust in them has been irreparably shattered,” said Janet Hauter of South Barrington, IL and Vice President of VOTF. “Catholics have a choice today.  Many have voted with their feet already.  We can remain silent, obedient and docile as chapters of this crisis continue to unfold or we can say ‘No more!’ and have a voice in the selection of moral pastors, bishops and Cardinals in the future.”

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Press contact

Janet Hauter jmwhauter@aol.com (847) 366-2761 ©

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.