VOTF Best Practice February 2005
Contact: cincinnativotf@earthlink.net

From VOTF vice-president Kris Ward: In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Clayton affiliates (all of the affiliates in the Archdiocese) are taking a unified action calling upon our fellow Catholics to give directly to the charities of the Archbishop's Fund Drive and not to the drive that bears the Archbishop's name. We have provided the list of charities with contact information, localized for the various geographic areas of the 19-county diocese. We have also provided a letter for Catholics to send to the Archbishop telling him why they are not giving.

The VOTF Dayton Affiliate has a financial seminar planned for April 2 with backing from the University of Dayton and two accounting firms. The seminar is on Internal Cash Controls and is aimed at finance committee chairs, parish council chairs, those handling the money for bingos, festivals, school fund raising, etc.

We also wrestled with the money question and the attitude/feeling by Catholics that withholding contributions might hurt local parishes. Because the release of documents showing the Archbishop knew of abuse by a priest against whom there are credible allegations (and lawsuits) surfaced at the time of the Archbishop's Fund Drive, we decided it was a now-or-never situation.

The Greater Cincinnati affiliate (both Dayton affiliates, all five in Cincinnati and the one affiliate in Clayton) assembled a "Your Choice, Your Voice" campaign. This effort required sitting in courtrooms, making and working media contacts, leafleting, traveling to other places in the diocese, mailings, and a follow-up strategy for the weeks of the Archbishop's Fund Drive, as well as organizing the financial seminar mentioned above.

The following letter was sent on 2/17 by VOTF to Catholics in the Cincinnati diocese:

Dear Fellow Catholic,

It's been said that timing is everything and that definitely applies to recent events in the Cincinnati Archdiocese. In late January and again in early February, evidence has surfaced that the Archbishop contributed to the sexual abuse crisis of children by covering up reports of sexual abuse of children. While many have suspected it before, there is no denying now that Archbishop Pilarczyk, like many bishops, knowingly transferred abusive priests to other unsuspecting parishes and failed to report crimes to the civil authorities.

On the heels of having this verified by reliable sources, one of them being a letter written by Archbishop Pilarczyk himself, Catholics in our diocese are being asked to contribute money to the Archbishop's Annual Fund Drive. This Fund Drive is a vital part of charitable work in this diocese and funds organizations and ministries that may otherwise not receive funding. So it's hard to withhold donations to ministries which truly reflect the works of mercy that are central to our beliefs as followers of Jesus. What is really hard is being asked to care for the poor and needy by the same Archbishop who is choosing to spend inordinate amounts of time and money to make the sex abuse scandal go away while he is not being held accountable for his actions and contributions to the problem.

So, Cincinnati VOTF is asking you to make a CHOICE and to use your VOICE. Make the choice to donate directly to one or several of the charities that the Fund Drive supports. (See below for a list of the charities.) Choose a cause or a ministry that is important to you and fits with your beliefs about what it means to be a Catholic.

Then, use your VOICE to let the Archbishop know that you are NOT donating to the Annual Fund Drive. Print off the attached letter, sign your name and send it to him. Or write a letter in your words letting him know of your concerns about the state of affairs in our church. Our church will not change if good people stand by and do nothing. We deserve the leadership we get if we do not speak up in the face of injustice.

You can also use your voice to share this message with other Catholics you know who want to speak up. Print off copies of the letter and the list of charities or forward this email message to anyone you know who is looking for a way to respond to recent events. So many Catholics are frustrated with the current situation and feel like we need to do something but don't know what to do. This is the clearest, most timely action step that we can take at this time. It has been proven in other dioceses that reason, negotiation, and calls for dialogue had no effect on church officials. The only thing that has gotten their attention is the loss of money. Sadly, this seems to be the case in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

In this season of Lent we are called to conversion - to make the hard choices that will lead us closer to God's will and way of life. Please consider taking a stand for justice and reform in our church, so that healing and conversion can take place for all God's people.

Trusting in the Spirit,

Nan Fischer, Chairperson

cincinnativotf@earthlink.net

The letter listed over a dozen charities supported by the Annual Fund. The following letter was distributed as a prototype for individual responses:

Dear Archbishop Pilarczyk,

This is to inform you that we will not be donating to the Archbishop's Annual Fund Drive this year. We will continue to support our parish, and will make independent donations to several of the agencies of our choosing that perform charitable works in keeping with our beliefs and faith tradition.

Several years ago when the reports of cover-up of sexual abuse by the Catholic hierarchy, and the transfer of pedophile priests, became known, we were deeply troubled and dismayed. Was this the church that we wanted to belong to? But our Faith prompted us to stay and work for a better church, a more accountable clergy, and certainly a more repentant hierarchy. We envisioned the day when the Bishops would be willing to publicly and sincerely apologize, embrace, and console their victims. We were encouraged when safeguards were put in place to ensure the future safety of our children. We were hopeful when we saw a few bishops begin reaching out to the victims of these predator priests, and to validate their victims' sufferings.

We thought perhaps the hierarchy, who had passed these felons from parish to parish, time and time again, had finally found it in their hearts to be open and begin rebuilding trust. We thought this veil of secrecy would finally end and give way to a transparency that would spill over to all aspects of our church.

You have had numerous opportunities in the last 3 years to show that the vocation you chose came from a sincere desire to share the love and compassion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with his followers. Somewhere along the way, you seem to have forgotten that we, the Faithful, are His followers, not yours.

We cannot, in good faith, make a donation to a fund, no matter how worthy, that is solicited in your name, until you show true compassion for your part in covering up abuse. Accountability matters and is expected of everyone.

By copy of this letter, we request that none of our weekly donations to (name of parish) be used to fulfill the parish quota for your fund drive.

With trust in the wisdom of our Lord,

(signed)
cc: Rev. (your Pastor)

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