Dear Friends,

Up until this week, only one bishop had been held accountable for his role in knowingly transferring sexually abusive priests. That bishop was Boston's Bernard Cardinal Law. Now Cardinal Law has been named to head the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, and the number of bishops held accountable has dropped back to zero.

If you are as disturbed by all this as we are, join our call to return responsibility to Catholicism. Sign our petitions for reform and forward them to at least three people if you have not already done so.

By the way, there is every reason to believe Cardinal Law will live in a style similar to the previous archpriest of the basilica, who according to the New York Times, received a monthly stipend of $12,000 per month ($144,000 annually) and lived in a "palatial apartment," a "classical Roman apartment with frescoes on the wall." Cardinal Law also continues to serve on a number of influential Vatican committees. And, as a Cardinal, he will be able to vote for the next Pope.

In bitter irony, news of Cardinal Law's appointment came two days after the Archdiocese of Boston announced it was closing 65 of its 357 parishes due to financial problems that developed under his stewardship. The Boston Archdiocese now plans to sell parish property for $300 to $400 million. There has still been no public accounting for this financial crisis.

Is this what accountability looks like to the Vatican?

The appointment of Cardinal Law to this new post has caused more pain to both tens of thousands of survivors of clergy sexual abuse and millions of Catholics everywhere. If you believe the Spirit of Pentecost calls for the Catholic Church to do better than this please take just a few minutes and take these small steps on a journey to return responsibility to Catholicism if you have not already done so:

Sign the petitions for reform. Then forward them to at least three people, and if you belong to a Voice of the Faithful affiliate, make sure everyone in your group receives this. Silence is what allowed the unthinkable to happen. Now we know silence is no longer an option.

Thank you for your continued support of Voice of the Faithful. We have a long journey ahead of us. Please know that your voice - as part of a chorus for change - is making a difference.

Warm regards,

Steve Krueger
Executive Director
Voice of the Faithful

P.S. Please consider making a donation to support the important work of Voice of the Faithful.