News from: Voice of the Faithful of Greater Philadelphia

 

 

VOTF/GP URGES RIGALI

 

TO SEEK AUDIT CHANGE

 

An area Catholic lay organization has called on Cardinal Justin Rigali to persuade his colleagues in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to reconsider their decision to switch from outside audits of clergy sexual abuse to self-reporting and urged him to "become an advocate" in the conference for an openness that will allow the votes of individual bishops in such matters to be made public. 

In a letter to the Cardinal, Voice of the Faithful of Greater Philadelphia said it had found the decision to abandon independent audits "deeply troubling" and warned that a self-reporting system "will undercut the bishops' already damaged credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of the faithful."

The letter cited a recent study by the Catholic University of America and Purdue University that found nearly four out of five American Catholics feel ashamed and embarrassed by their church and nearly three-quarters believe that the failure of bishops to stop the abuse is a bigger problem than the abuse itself.

"A self-reporting system on child sexual abuse can only increase the laity's skepticism about the bishops' commitment to follow through on the Dallas Charter," the letter said.