The Truth About Voice of the Faithful

CUF
From the May/Jun 2004 Issue of Lay Witness Magazine

Issue: What is Voice of the Faithful? What are the organizations goals? Have any concerns been raised about the organization?

Response: VOTF is an association of Catholics formed in 2002 in response to the clerical sex abuse crisis in the Church. The organization identifies three basic goals: (1) to support those who have been abused; (2) to support priests of integrity; and (3) to bring about structural change within the Church to prevent further such abuse.[1]

While VOTF officially claims that it “does not seek any change in Church doctrine,” the vast majority of its leaders, advisors, and speakers are known for their outspoken dissent from Church teaching. VOTF has also caused concerns because of its attempts to undermine the hierarchy’s lawful authority, so as to “democratize” the Church. As set forth below, CUF recommends that the faithful dissociate themselves from VOTF and join other reform movements that are unabashedly faithful to Church teaching.

Discussion: VOTF was founded in January 2002 in a church basement in Wellesley, Massachusetts as a means of expressing concern about the clergy sex abuse scandal. Aided by a largely sympathetic media, VOTF has quickly become a national phenomenon, claiming 30,000 registered members by fall 2003. VOTF carries out its activities through its national office and local affiliates called “parish voices.”

VOTF should be commended for its support of victims of clerical sex abuse and for encouraging Church authorities to institute legitimate reforms and policy changes to prevent future abuse and to ensure that, in the future, cases of alleged abuse are handled appropriately.

On the surface, and especially given the public outcry over the recent scandals, VOTF appears to be an attractive organization that’s responding to the contemporary crisis in the Church. However, upon closer examination, one finds in VOTF an instrument of rebellion, not an agent of authentic reform.

Keep the Faith

The primary question to ask about VOTF—or any organization that holds itself out as “Catholic”— is its fidelity to Jesus Christ and His teachings. VOTF purports to represent a broad-based reform movement in the Church, but its efforts will prove to be in vain—and indeed harmful to the faithful—if it undermines fidelity to revealed truth. That’s why the Pope says that “every association of the lay faithful must be a forum where the faith is proclaimed as well as taught in its total content.”[2]

VOTF’s motto is “keep the faith, change the Church.” On its website, VOTF states that it “does not seek any change in Church doctrine.” Yet, while VOTF regularly cites the documents of Vatican II and canon law to justify its existence and practices, other published statements as well as its conference presentations often conflict with authentic Church teaching.

One FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) on VOTF’s website is quite revealing: “Q. What positions does Voice of the Faithful take on married clergy, women priests, and homosexuality in and outside of the Church? A. Voice of the Faithful takes no position on the hot-button sex and gender issues roiling the Catholic Church. . . .”

If VOTF really does not seek to change the Catholic faith, why are there “hot-button” doctrinal issues on which VOTF refuses to affirm Church doctrine? Why is an organization that demands a greater “transparency” on the part of bishops and Church structures not willing to be transparent in its own acceptance of authentic Catholic teaching?

There’s a common perception that VOTF is a front group for dissident Catholics, that VOTF is giving renewed life to largely discredited organizations such as Call to Action, We Are Church, Dignity, and CORPUS. The burden of proof is on VOTF to demonstrate its fidelity to Church teaching by disavowing such associations and unambiguously embracing all Church teachings—especially on hot-button issues.

While VOTF’s official statements tend to be vague and elusive on doctrinal matters, postings on its website and the messages of its speakers and spokesmen are much more forthcoming on its positions. One finds here a plethora of dissident agendas that not only have been given “safe harbor” by VOTF, but seem to be the predominant position of VOTF members.

For example, just one posting on VOTF’s site, by Mary Blaney, advocates a full-blown feminist agenda, including calling God “mother,” illicitly changing parts of the Mass, calling for outright rejection of the Church’s teaching on contraception, advocating a system of Catholic divorce to replace the annulment process, and promoting women’s ordination. Clearly the VOTF umbrella is wide, as it’s using its stated agenda of addressing clerical sex abuse to promote other agendas inimical to the faith.

This reality is readily apparent when one considers who VOTF has invited to speak at its major events. The list, which reads like a “who’s who” of contemporary dissident Catholics include among others:

Paul Lakeland—liberation theologian and author of Can Women Be Priests?
James Carroll—former priest who advocates contraception, abortion, and women’s ordination.
Fr. Richard McBrien—granddaddy of dissident theologians, whose problematic text Catholicism was criticized by the Doctrine Committee of the U.S. bishops.
Debra Haffner—former president of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), which promotes, among other things, teaching 5-8 year olds that masturbation and homosexual acts are acceptable.
Thomas Groome—professor of theology at Boston College, noted for promoting false ecumenism and religious indifferentism.
Eugene Kennedy—a laicized priest and popular author who believes that the Church’s definitive teachings on sexual morality issues are the cause of the current scandals, and that they need to be changed.

VOTF claims that it has spent a tremendous amount of time— without success—in recruiting Catholic speakers with more “conservative” views on Church teaching. Yet, VOTF’s unqualified endorsements of speakers like Dr. Kennedy suggest that VOTF is being disingenuous when it claims that it is not seeking to change Church doctrine—even when it claims to “take no position” on such issues. By giving platforms for speakers like Dr. Kennedy and promoting them so positively on its website, VOTF is holding out these individuals as speakers whose views are compatible with its mission.

Change The Church

VOTF officials claim that they don’t want to revamp the Church’s teaching regarding the hierarchical structure of the Church. Yet, when VOTF expresses its goal to “change the Church,” it means much more than Church renewal. It means restructuring the Church, which is why VOTF has consulted with Leonard Swidler about writing a “constitution” for this new church.

As one article on the VOTF website says, “the system has now collapsed, leaving the moral authority of church leaders severely eroded. A new form of leadership must now arise . . .”[3] But what sort of government is VOTF looking for?

For the answer, one need look no further than VOTF’s first national convention in Boston in July 2002, where it awarded Fr. Tom Doyle VOTF’s first “Priest of Integrity” Award. In accepting the award, Fr. Doyle argued that Jesus established an ecclesiastical democracy.[4]

Fr. Doyle rightly calls upon Church leaders to serve with charity, humility, respect, and compassion, and to rectify abuses committed or tolerated under their watch. But that does not mean that Jesus instituted a democracy in founding the Church. To the contrary, Vatican II strongly affirmed the God-given, hierarchical nature of the Church, including the office of Pope and bishops.[5] Necessary reforms must take place within the hierarchical structure Jesus provided. Our Lord did not establish a democratic church in which doctrines could be modified by the will of the majority or by their democratically elected, ecclesiastical representatives.

Hyperactive Laity

One of the greatest gifts of Vatican II is its emphasis on the role of the laity in advancing the Church’s mission to make disciples of all nations.[6]

The laity’s participation in the life of the Church must be characterized by a spirit of ecclesial communion, reflecting our mutual dependence as brothers and sisters in Christ. In particular, ecclesial communion is fostered when clergy and laity understand their roles as being complementary, not adversarial.

VOTF reflects a widespread misunderstanding of Vatican II’s teaching on the laity. VOTF blurs the fundamental distinction between clergy and laity, as it equates an “active” laity with Church governance. According to this thinking, an active laity must wrest power away from the hierarchy. Further, VOTF places the blame for the clerical sex abuse scandal on the Church structure and on a perceived lack of lay participation in Church decision making, rather than on a failure of leadership on the part of some shepherds. This view misses the fact that the Church’s structure, with the bishop exercising authority in the diocesan Church in the name of Christ and as a successor of the apostles, is a matter of doctrine, not management theory.

Despite various reforms initiated and implemented by the U.S. bishops in the wake of the sexual abuse crisis, VOTF still maintains: “No longer can the bishops demand our trust without earning it. We want to work with the bishops, but to earn back our trust, they must demonstrate that they deserve that trust. The laity must continually review and monitor the performance of bishops.”[7] VOTF views the hierarchy as a corrupt institution that cannot police itself back to moral soundness, but instead needs outside help to do so. “The days of ‘pay, pray, and obey’ on the part of passive lay Catholics must give way to far greater vigilance and higher expectations of their Church leaders.”[8]

VOTF’s position is in marked contrast to the directives of Vatican II: “The laity should promptly accept in Christian obedience what is decided by the pastors who, as teachers and rulers of the Church, represent Christ.”[9] Vatican II, of course, does not envision the laity’s ignoring criminal acts, which should be brought to the attention of law enforcement authorities. Lay people can and should help foster needed reforms, but in concert with bishops, clergy, and religious, and in keeping with their baptized calling.

Dialogue or Rebellion

Consistent with VOTF’s posture as expressed on its website, executive director Steve Krueger and spokesman Luise Dittrich declined to affirm the definitive nature of the Church’s teachings on sexual matters and women’s ordination in an interview with CUF. Ms. Dittrich explained this approach by noting that VOTF serves as “a clearing-house for dialogue.” But what does that mean?

VOTF unabashedly states that its “profound aim is to bring the laity to the table of governance and guidance of the Church per the imperatives of Vatican II.”[10] Questions regarding VOTF’s ecclesiology aside, it’s fair to say that VOTF is a lay movement seeking some measure of influence in the Church today, and it claims that Vatican II provides its impetus.

However, Vatican II provides that there are some non-negotiable fundamentals that must characterize any lay organization that desires to participate in the Church’s mission, namely adherence to Church teaching and proper formation in the Catholic faith.

By providing a “clearinghouse” for views that contradict Church teaching, VOTF is failing to provide sound teaching and formation to its members. Instead, under the guise of promoting “dialogue,” VOTF fosters dissent and division.

Ms. Dittrich also told CUF that if a teaching were true, dialoguing about it wouldn’t threaten its truthfulness. Yet, the issue isn’t whether the truth will ultimately prevail, but whether the faithful will be misled by dissident, engaging speakers who are presented as leading Catholic lights. VOTF has an obligation to ensure that the Catholic faith is safeguarded in all its presentations, rather than hide behind the disingenuous goal of promoting
“dialogue.”

In addition, some Catholics have reported that they have been marginalized at or even barred from some VOTF chapter meetings for opposing doctrinal dissent.[11] Mr. Krueger said that any such irregularities on the local level conflict with VOTF’s national policy, as any meeting, open or closed, should be open to all VOTF members. These incidents nonetheless reflect VOTF members’ general understanding of what is really meant by “dialogue,” and VOTF’s national office has not used these incidents as opportunities to affirm its unconditional support of magisterial teaching.

Episcopal Endorsements

VOTF states in its 2002-03 Annual Report that it has a “centrist philosophy” and is a “movement of the Spirit.” However, no bishop has formally endorsed the organization and almost a dozen as of the writing of this FAITH FACT have banned VOTF from operating on diocesan property. The issue here is not VOTF’s right to associate under Church or secular law. Rather, the issue is whether VOTF should be recognized as an organization in good standing with the Church. In keeping with the teaching of Vatican II, lay associations are meant to aid the mission of the Church, and that mission is necessarily carried on with and under the diocesan bishop, who must exercise vigilance with respect to their activities.[12]

Here’s a representative sampling of what some bishops have said about VOTF:

In an August 13, 2002 press release, Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut, stated, “I cannot support an organization like Voice of the Faithful which appears to promote dialogue and cooperation, but which in reality prosecutes a hidden agenda that is in conflict with the teachings of the Church.”

In an October 11, 2002 press release, Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark added that VOTF acts as if the tremendous increase in lay participation at various levels of parish, diocesan, national, and inter-national Church life has not taken place in the decades following Vatican II. He added that VOTF “has used the current crisis in the Church as a springboard for presenting an agenda that is anti-Church and, ultimately, anti-Catholic.”

In an April 2003 release, VOTF says that Bishop Thomas Daily of Brooklyn reversed his ban on VOTF’s meeting on diocesan property. According to VOTF, Bishop Daily, who has since retired, made the reversal after reviewing VOTF documents and finding the organization “to be in accord with the teaching of the Church.” In an interview with CUF, however, Bishop Daily noted that his judgment was restricted to an evaluation of the local VOTF group, in which doctrinal dissent was not an issue. Bishop Daily added that he did not evaluate the policies and doctrinal dispositions of national VOTF, nor the orthodoxy of its speakers. He said he unequivocally opposes dissent from Church doctrine and discipline.

Reform of the Reform

In summary, VOTF is an organization in need of reform itself, so that it will better conform to the teachings of Vatican II and the authority of the Catholic Church. If VOTF becomes unambiguously faithful, the organization has great potential in serving the Church, because there are many talented, zealous people within the organization. However, until such reform takes place, VOTF cannot be recommended because it tolerates and promotes dissent.

When shepherds in the Church abuse their God-given authority by ignoring the true needs of their people or closing their minds to the voice of God, their leadership becomes oppressive and leads to dissent and chaos. Yet, those who seek to become instruments of authentic reform must still recognize legitimate Church authority and be faithful to all the teachings of Christ. They should joyfully seek to bring their talents to bear on parish and diocesan life, and they should address their concerns in a way that fosters Church unity, not one that foments division by disrespecting the successors of the apostles. Only then will the “voice of the faithful” be truly heard and impact the Church in an unambiguously fruitful manner.

By What Criteria?

In his 1988 apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici (The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People), Pope John Paul II synthesizes Vatican II’s rich teaching on the lay apostolate and offers the following criteria for evaluating associations of the lay faithful in the Church:

(1) the primacy given to the call of every Christian to holiness

(2) the responsibility of professing the Catholic faith in its fullness

(3) the witness to a strong and authentic communion with the Pope and with one’s local bishop

(4) conforming to and participating in the Church’s apostolic goals (e.g., the “new evangelization”)

(5) the commitment to authentic human development in keeping with the God-given dignity of every human person

VOTF is especially weak when it comes to numbers (2) and (3), so many Church leaders have advised Catholics to avoid this organization.

There are, however, many lay movements that embrace and meet the foregoing criteria, thus embodying Vatican II’s call for associations of lay faithful. Such movements and associations include Communion and Liberation, the Community of St. Egidio, Focalare, the Neocatechumenal Way, Opus Dei, and Regnum Christi.

In addition, Catholics United for the Faith (CUF), through its chapter program, offers lay faithful an opportunity to organize locally for the purpose of prayer, doctrinal formation, joint apostolic activity, and Christian fellowship. According to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., “CUF offers Catholics a model of active, intelligent, articulate lay witness . . . In an age when many different voices claim to be the ‘voice of the faithful,’ CUF is
the real thing.”

For more information on forming or joining a CUF chapter in your area, call toll-free (800) MY-FAITH, or email ksands@cuf.org.

——————————————————————————–

[1] In preparing this FAITH FACT,Catholics United for the Faith (CUF) examined VOTF’s website (www.votf.org), statements of its conference speakers, and the statements of some bishops regarding VOTF. CUF also conducted a face-to-face interview with VOTF executive director Steve Krueger and spokesman Luise Dittrich.

[2] Pope John Paul II, apostolic exhortation The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People Christifideles Laici, no. 30.

[3] www.votf.org/educating-ourselves/massimini.htm.

[4] www.votf.org/Convention/tomdoyle.html

[5] See Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, nos. 18-29; Catechism, nos. 874-96.

[6] See Lumen Gentium, nos. 30-42; Catechism, nos. 897-90.

[7] www.votf.org/Who_We_Are/faq.html.

[8] VOTF press release, October 30, 2003.

[9] Lumen Gentium, no. 37.

[10] www.votf.org/Who_We_Are/faq.html#nine.

[11] Greg Byrnes, “Some Attending Voice of the Faithful Meetings Find They Have No Voice,” National Catholic Register, July 27-Aug. 9, 2003.

[12] Apostolicam Actuositatem, no. 24; Catechism, no. 896.

Recommended Reading:

Holy Bible (Catholic edition)

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Vatican II Documents

Paul Thigpen, ed., Shaken by Scandals

Colleen Carroll, The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy

George Weigel, The Courage to be Catholic: Crisis, Reform, and the Future of the Church

To order, call Benedictus Books toll-free: (888) 316-2640. CUF members receive a 10% discount.

Hahn and Suprenant, eds., Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God

Leon Suprenant and Philip Gray, Faith Facts: Answers to Catholic Questions

Ted Sri, Mystery of the Kingdom: On the Gospel of Matthew

Leon Suprenant, ed., Servants of the Gospel

Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, Without a Doubt: Bringing Faith to Life

To order these and other titles, call Emmaus Road toll-free: (800) 398-5470.

Available Faith Facts:

• No Man Is An Island: Associations of the Faithful • Catholics United for the Faith • Following Our Bishops • The Theological Virtue of Faith

Call CUF’s Catholic Responses department toll-free helpline (1-800-MY-FAITH) for these and other Faith Facts, and with your questions about the Catholic faith.

Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth St.
Steubenville, OH 43952
(800) 693-2484
www.cuf.org

Last edited: 3/30/2004

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