Our Policies and Positions

Voice of the Faithful Policies and Positions

Let me be clear about what Voice of the Faithful does, and does not,

stand for. These are our policies and positions:

∑ Voice of the Faithful is focused on those actions necessary to

respond to survivors, to support priests who are living their vows,

and to effect structural change that helps ensure this type of

abuse never occurs again in the Catholic Church.

∑ We accept the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

∑ We have taken no position on the many other issues that divide

Catholics in 2002.

∑ We do not advocate the end of priestly celibacy.

We do not advocate the exclusion of homosexuals from the

Priesthood.

[ translation : We advocate homosexuals in the Priesthood. ]

We do not advocate the ordination of women.

We do not advocate any of the other remedies that some have

proposed.

∑ We do not endorse any organizations or interest groups.

∑ We do promote a full and open discussion about the root causes of

the sexual abuse crisis and the remedies that are needed.

∑ We do take the position that the bishops and the Vatican have

failed to address the sexual abuse crisis and its consequences

adequately.

∑ We do take the position that bishops fail in their role as

shepherds and teachers when they refuse to engage the laity in a

meaningful and substantive discussion of the issues.

∑ We do take the position that Pope John Paul II rightly called

clergy sexual abuse "crimes," and a "shame and scandal" for the

Catholic Church.

∑ We do believe that cleaning up this culture of deception and

scandal is job #1 for the bishops.

Voice of the Faithful will stay true to its mission and goals. We will

support survivors of clergy sexual abuse. We will support priests in the

faithful discharge of their vows. And we will work for structural

changes that help ensure that clergy sexual abuse does not occur again in

the Catholic Church.

Ours will remain a philosophy of "centrism," of providing a voice for all

people in the Catholic Church. In this way, we will "Keep the Faith and

Change the Church."

Sincerely,

Jim Post

President