NORTHAMPTON (MA)
Republican
Thursday, September 15, 2005
By AZELL MURPHY CAVAAN
acavaan@repub.com
NORTHAMPTON - The protection of children, empowerment of lay councils and financial accountability are the top priorities facing the Catholic Church today, a religious organization said earlier this week.
The Northampton/Springfield affiliate of the national organization Voice of the Faithful voted during a meeting at St. Mary's Church Tuesday to submit those issues to the organization's Convocation Implementation Team next month.
The Convocation Implementation Team will collect input from affiliates nationwide and select three resolutions, which the organization will begin putting into action in January.
"We are trying to change the church from within," said John F. Sheehan of Southampton, moderator of the Northampton/Springfield affiliate.
Voice of the Faithful is a worldwide movement of mainstream Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The organization has grown into an agent for reform.