BishopAccountability.org
 
  Voice of the Faithful Petitions Pope to Hold Bishops Accountable for Their Actions in Abuse Crisis

Voice of the Faithful
June 17, 2008

http://www.votf.org/Press/pressrelease/061208.html

NORTH AMERICA -- 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."

 
 
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.