Salt of the Earth: Voice of laity emerging

Social justice news
June 2002

Bishops call for Vatican III
Bishops to consider Charter to protect children
Frosted mini-nukes?
Maryland calls moratorium on death penalty
SEIU in landmark contract with Catholic Healthcare West
Tactical nukes next up in arms-control agenda?
U.S. bishops say refugee program in crisis
Voice of laity emerging

Voice of laity emerging
"This is a critical beginning," said Claire Noonan, a young adult outreach coordinator for a Catholic not-for-profit organization, as she thanked the Catholic Lawyers Guild for moderating 38 listening sessions across the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21.

Cardinal Francis George announced the open forums days before in a letter to Catholics of the archdiocese saying, "As your bishop, I would like to know the concerns and views of the Catholic faithful. Your input will shape regulations that come out of the national gathering [of bishops in June]."

While some of the 120 attendees at the forum held at Holy Name Cathedral expressed doubt at how much their input would really matter, the general atmosphere was one of hope for the survival of the church and the emergence of a strong, educated, and active laity. Anyone wishing to speak at the forums was allotted five minutes to speak freely about the crisis. Comments ranged from policy recommendations, voiced frustrations, thoughts on what caused the crisis, and even two speakers who confessed through tears that they had been abused by priests as young boys. And while some lamented the "depravity of homosexuality," others called for prelates who covered up the abuse to resign. Some warned of the danger of a "witch hunt," leading to condemnation for the falsely accused.

Joe Murray has been a parishioner at Holy Name for over 30 years and was one of the first speakers of the night. He said, "When the cardinals finished their meeting in Rome, they made a statement that addressed many aspects of this issue, but one thing they did not address is the accountability of the hierarchy. I fear that this will not be addressed in Dallas and it really must be."

Patrick Dwyer, a lawyer and member of Old St. Patrick's Parish, echoed Murray's sentiments and added, "I believe in forgiveness and the story of the Prodigal Son, that's one of the main reasons I'm a Catholic. But forgiveness only comes after justice has been done to the guilty."

"As a psychologist, I've learned that in life it is usually not what happens to you, but how you deal with it that matters," said Marianne Daley, who noted she is not related to the mayor of Chicago. She encouraged the bishops to be open and forthcoming with information and to be compassionate toward victims.

One speaker voiced his great disappointment that in the cardinals' communiqué issued at the end of the Rome meeting, they were very explicit about the "public reprimand of those who spread dissent," but omitted any mention of the laity's role in the solution to this problem." The New York Times wrote on April 25, "The cardinals said in news conferences that they intended to include laypeople in any solution . . . Asked about the omission in their final late-night news conference at the Vatican, the cardinals admitted that somehow, they had inadvertently left the laypeople out."

Representatives of the newly formed Action for Justice Committee at a Chicago archdiocesan parish passed out flyers to attendees at the forums announcing a planning meeting for a "lay synod" where Catholics can "talk about the necessary systemic changes that will be required in the church, beyond the legal response to this sexual abuse crisis." The flyer says that a Southern Illinois group will be holding a lay synod as well, "for Catholics to look to the future and discern the Holy Spirit's guidance."

Noonan, who works for Call To Action (CTA), a national Catholic organization of laity, clergy and religious, outlined the organization's list of recommendations for policy on sex abuse by clergy. The list was sent to every bishop in the country and the first item is a proposal that a full report be issued from each diocese which fully discloses the number of complaints, the number of priests accused, the number reported to legal authorities, the amount of money paid in settlements and legal fees, as well as the sources of funds that paid these costs, and the status of all cases and the priests involved.

"We must have full accounting on the depth of this crisis," said Noonan.

Other recommendations from CTA include: the establishment of a lay review board in every diocese, not appointed by the bishop but by the pastoral council, and a national review board initially funded by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops and comprised of a majority lay members; an open community policy consultation in each diocese; that each diocese should contract with a victim assistance organization not affiliated with the diocese; that priests and other church authorities should be instructed to refrain from language which implies the victim is at fault or shares responsibility for what happened to them.

CTA will have representatives in Dallas for the bishops' meeting June 10-14 and will hold a press conference and a symposium with nationally recognized speakers such as Jason Berry, author of Lead Us Not Into Temptation, and Robert McClory, professor of journalism at Northwestern University and author of Faithful Dissenters: Stories of Men and Women who Loved and Changed the Church. CTA encourages all interested parties to join in solidarity in Dallas.

Meanwhile in Boston, the Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) group continues to grow in size, now numbering over 10,000 supporters. The group is hosting many events in the months to come, including a national gathering on July 20 at the Hynes Center in Boston for a crowd of up to 5,000. VOTF also announced a Worldwide Day of Prayer on June 28. The VOTF Web site provides resources for hosting a prayer service in your local parish, complete with a schedule of prayers, meditations, and guidelines for fasting. On June 8, renowned composer and musician Jeanne Cotter will perform a benefit concert for VOTF at a Newton, Massachusetts, parish. More information is available on the VOTF Web site.

Hundreds of parishes and other groups have contacted VOTF for information on how to start a local group. VOTF is working hard to respond to all the requests and is developing a "VOTF in a box" to help others get started. The nationwide programs will be known as Parish Voice.

In April, Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law addressed a letter to all priests in the diocese through his vicar general, Bishop Walter J. Edyvean, that says laypeople must live out their desire for equality ''within the hierarchical structure of the church.'' In response to a lay organizing initiative started by parish council members from several churches in the Boston archdiocese, the letter directs priests and pastors "you are not to join, foster, or promote this endeavor among your parish pastoral council members or the community of the faithful at large."

"Cardinal Law just doesn't seem to get it," said Dwyer at the Chicago forum, "The hierarchy is out of touch with the rest of us. They have forgotten where the power comes from. It's not them coming down to us, it's us going up to them. It would only take two weeks of withholding funds to remind them where the power comes from. As the laity, we have to be educated and we have to keep an eye on the hierarchy."

Elissa Jarbigian, a convert to Catholicism, may have best summed up the overall consensus of the speakers at the forum when she said, "Especially now my friends are teasing me and saying, 'Why did you become a Catholic?' But I'm a cleaning lady and I'll tell you what, when I go into a house that's filthy I don't say, 'Oh, it's too dirty it could never be beautiful again.' I scrub it like crazy and I don't leave it 'til it shines like a new penny."—Tara Dix

For more information:
Voice of the Faithful
Call To Action's list of recommendations for bishops
Cardinal attempts to curb lay organizing
Action for Justice Committee: call Margaret Field or Dick Kelly at 708-386-3793

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