National News

Out of the Shadows of Sexual Abuse
VOTF’s Bill Casey taped a “talk show” interview with three survivors for a local cable TV station early in June titled “Coming Out of the Shadows of Sexual Abuse.” Two of the survivors were abused by a priest and the other by a neighbor/college professor. Two of them were children and one (a deacon at the time) was an adult.  To view a copy of the DVD please contact Bill Casey at b13909@comcast.net. The program also is available for other TV stations to air.

VOTF APPLAUDS SUPREME COURT DECISION
June 29, 2010-Boston– Another important step towards accountability for sex-abuse cover-ups was taken with the recent refusal by the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a lawsuit that seeks to depose Vatican officials about a case involving a priest transferred from city to city despite repeated accusations of sexual abuse.

The Court’s action sends the case back to an Oregon district court, where attorneys will argue whether the priest is an employee of the Vatican or of a local religious order.

“We applaud any action that restores transparency and accountability to the Church,” says Voice of the Faithful President Dan Bartley. “We will be following this case closely and fully support the survivor who has bravely come forward and managed to keep fighting for justice.”

Cardinal Marc Ouellet Appointed as Prefect for the Congregation for Bishops
Cardinal Marc Ouellet was recently appointed as Prefect for the Congregation for Bishops, which is responsible for the selection of Bishops.

Ouellet is a member of the Sulpician Society, whose work is to teach seminarians. As such he taught in South America for 10 years and then in Rome, also in Canada. He was also secretary of the Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and his Episcopal motto is “that they all may be one.” He was appointed bishop in 2001, so he is not a long-time bishop.

Site Seeing

A hierarchy deeply damaged from within
http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/hierarchy-deeply-damaged-within

John Allen comments on the recent upheavals in the Catholic Church
http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/seven-days-shook-vatican

The issue of celibacy is raised in Boston
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/
2010/07/01/boston_archdiocese_welcomes_2_
rectors_as_auxiliary_bishops/

The following article describes the plight of 18 boys who have reported sexual abuse in a program financially supported by the Fairfield University community. http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Food-shoes-medicine-bought-for-Haiti

Reflections

REFLECTION for the FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
By Gaile Polhaus
Luke 10: 1 – 9
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

Jesus sent them two by two because “wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:20.) We are called into community to serve the community in Christ's name and bring peace to all, especially the abused, those of integrity, and to the Christian Church.

Calendar

Survivors Bernie McDaid and Olan Horne to speak at Weymouth VOTF July 13th
On Tuesday, July 13th, at 7 pm, Bernie McDaid and Olan Horne, two survivors who talked with Pope Benedict, will discuss their plans for “Reformation Day” to be held at the Vatican on October 31st. They will stress the need to promote reform and to support the needs of survivors for healing — currently and going forward — in the Church. 

St. Albert the Great Parish Hall (downstairs)
1130 Washington St., Weymouth, MA
Plenty of Parking, Refreshments.
Donations for Survivors and Reformation Day welcome.

CBS' “48 Hours” will be filming the presentation for a documentary at a later date.
All are Welcome!

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The news which you publish on the web-site is most extensive and very interesting.

It is very good to receive this news, and to see the variety of activities, the presentations of competent persons, and the up-to-date realities discussed. While I am not a registered member of VOTF, I maintain very close affinity and sharing with members of the LIVOTF.

Last evening I made a presentation to the Long Island Chapter on the matter of the forthcoming translations of the Texts for the Celebration of the Eucharist. There are so many opinions of these texts, their credibility, and the manner of their promulgation. To my way of thinking, behind these texts there are the deeper theological and spiritual-mystery realities and considerations of the entire reality of Jesus.
A question arises: “Do these texts do justice to the profound mystery of the union with Jesus all baptized have as we share the gift he made, once and for all,(Hebrews) of all creation to our Creator?” Further, these texts reflect a theology of the “Ecclesia,” the Church, the Assembly of the Baptized. This issue is at the heart of so many situations in our Church today. Theologians and faithful hold to the Vatican II clarification of our heritage that the Church is, as Paul eloquently promotes, The Body of Christ. So does Vatican II. On the other hand we have other members who define the Church as a pyramid of authority.

At last evening's meeting we considered the 10 recommendations for VOTF. The question remains: “How can we make our voice heard?” It seems that our “Leaders” are holding on to the definition of Church as Pyramid. For so many who hold to the Body of Christ, are we to remain subject to the Pyramid Model? If so much is being said, and written all over the country about the Body of Christ, when is all this going to rise as the sensus fidelium? Apparently the “Pyramids” have closed their ears. Does the fear of “Excommunication” hang over the faithful, a fear which renders one numb, fearful, and silent?

At the least the Body of Christ is not trying to dominate! When can we get the “Pyramids” and the sensus fidelium to the conference table?

Hoping for suggestions, and ready to help, I am, sincerely,

Brother James Loxham FSC
Freeport, N.Y.

Dear Editor,

The visitation to Ireland was announced, and all those visiting are archbishops and cardinals.

No laity, no one with expertise in organizational behavior or psychology.

This visitation is destined to be a waste of time.

I don't think that this impotent investigation is deliberate, but it should be loudly objected to anyhow.

It is a clear indication that the church leadership has no idea of the fundamental nature of the mess they are in, let along how to extract themselves from it.
JMS Glencoe , IL

Dear Editor,

I believe that the parish councils in all parishes should change frequently e.g. every four years there should be a parish meeting and new members would be elected by the parish members....no lifers should be allowed. Sometimes these members begin to think and act as if they were the pastors of the church.

It’s imperative that the financial situation in every parish is NOT in the hands of the pastor .The books should be open .....it’s the money of the people who work hard to donate it to their church and so they have a right to see where their money is going.

Pastors don’t get it.....parishes belong to the people, not to them.....they are servants of the people....they work for them and not the other way around.

Good luck with your good work of trying to make our Church, a holy church, a place where Christ is the center of all we do.

Sincerely,
Mary Flood

Dear Editors: 

I write this to satisfy my own conscience; just trying to do everything I can to move the Church towards renewal. Please do not see at as an attack, but rather as an invitation to reflect.

All the quotes you give as prophetic are from clergy, which illustrates the problem. We have been convinced as children that God, through Jesus, gave the power to a few men. They are the ones who have the authority and can make the change. The history of the early Church says differently.
The truly prophetic strain of voice today is in those of us who are proclaiming that we have to return to the house-church Eucharist as a way of strengthening the parish, and then the diocese, and finally the Church; this because it calls attention to the great truth about priesthood and authority in the Church.

There is only one priesthood, and all the baptized share in it. The liturgically ordained are appointed by the community to be their minister at the altar for the larger group, the parish, and as such this priesthood needs more professional training, etc. The bishops were elected by the people of God to serve the larger group, the diocese. They had more authority, granted by the community, but the same priesthood. The baptized Christian has the same priesthood, and on the level of the family, the house-church, can celebrate Eucharist.

While t his is startling to most, let us look at our theology:
Anyone (including non-Christians!) can baptize. Matrimony is administered by the couple, with the priest being only a witness for the community. The priesthood of the bishop and the parish priest is the same; the difference in their roles is only one of authority.

The truly prophetic stance is that God gave the power to the community, not to a few individual men – and it is time for us to reclaim this power is now, by simply .exercising it, not by debating or asking for permission.

If you have any interest in this, please check the web site: www.reclaimingeucharistasmeal.com
I in no way mean to minimize the important step of achieving transparency, etc., but I think the battle has to be fought on a deeper level.

Thank you for all you do, and God bless the work.

Brother Thomas P. Draney, cfc

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.