Some
comments from the
VOTF N.J. is
organized and orchestrated by Tony Padovano and his wife, Theresa, supported by Anthony Massimini?
This
is not just a nice group of
confused people. They are actors.
See
this link for more insight re: VOTF
N.J..
********************************
What I told Voice of the Faithful
Deal Hudson Feb 26, 2003
The
future of VOTF lies with those leaders who are willing to resist the dissenting
solutions
that will only diminish the witness of the Church.
CRISIS
Magazine - e-Letter February 26, 2003
Dear
Friend,
You
might remember me mentioning a while back that I'd been asked to meet with
Voice
of the Faithful (VOTF). The Patterson, NJ, chapter was gracious enough to
invite
me to Holy Angels Church in Little Falls this past weekend to talk about
my
impressions of their organization and my ideas for dealing with the scandal.
It
may surprise you, but the meeting went well.
First
and foremost, the group was very polite and respectful. While they had been
warned
ahead of time about my criticisms of VOTF, most were still open to what I
had
to say. A lot of the questions they asked me revolved around the issue of
power:
the power of the bishops, how much power the laity should have, etc.
One
issue that particularly concerned them was that more and more bishops were
banning
VOTF chapters from meeting in their dioceses. While I could understand
their
concern, I pointed out that VOTF has yet to explain what it means by
pushing
for "structural change" in the church. Until that point is clarified,
the
bishops
-- who are part of that structure -- are right to consider the parade of
dissident
speakers at VOTF meetings as indicative of where at least some of the
VOTF
leadership wants to go.
Notice
that I said "some" of the leadership. After answering several
questions,
it
became clearer to me that there was a big difference between the average Joe
attending
VOTF meetings (like this one) and the people running the meetings. By
and
large, members are regular Catholics who are frustrated with the scandal and
feel
that they have nowhere else to turn. A lot of us feel that way.
But
their good intentions won't count for much in the face of a leadership that
has
other ideas about the direction of the organization. Just to give you an
example,
it spoke volumes to me when it was announced at the meeting that Bishop
Gumbleton
was high on this VOTF chapter's list of prospective speakers. The
audience
seemed to take this news in stride, clearly unaware of the bishops
"credentials."
(Bishop Gumbleton is highly involved in Call to Action and other
dissident
groups, and would, no doubt, bring that ideology to the VOTF table.)
Now
people have made the argument time and again that speakers associated with
VOTF
don't necessarily represent the views of the organization (or else I would
have
NEVER been invited). This may be true in some cases, but when the vast
majority
of its honored guests are vocal dissidents, you can't help but wonder
where
their loyalties lie.
Unfortunately,
not everybody recognizes these infamous Catholics. That's why
those
well-intentioned VOTF members didn't bat an eye when Gumbleton's name was
brought
up, and they'll likely be led into providing platforms for other speakers
with
similar agendas.
For
members of VOTF, I would say this: Be informed. When speakers are announced,
research
their history. See what groups they've participated in, what ideas
they've
supported publicly. Do the homework.
Know the issues and the Church's
teaching
on those issues. You may find that some in your leadership have taken
advantage
of your good will. Most Catholics are too busy making a living and
raising
families to know the ins and outs of dissident activity in the Church.
Many
of these VOTF members are fence-sitters: They could be persuaded to either
side
with effective arguments. Unfortunately, with a steady diet of dissidents
and
no counteracting voice of truth, they run a great risk of falling on the
wrong
side of the fence. The future of VOTF lies with those leaders who are
willing
to resist the dissenting solutions that will only diminish the witness of
the
Church.
In
the end, I was grateful to be invited, and I'd go back again if they asked me.
I've
received a number of intriguing e-mails since my lecture, and I promise to
return
them.
mailto:Comments@FaithfulVoice.com