Once again, we have another parish in the Diocese promoting Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), a dissident organization.
St. John the Baptist (Silver Spring) has recently placed an announcement in their parish bulletin advertising the local speaking engagement of the Most. Rev. Geoffrey Robinson, the retired Auxiliary Bishop of Sidney Australia.
Although he is not speaking on parish property (thank God), it is bad enough that they are advertising this event.
What makes it worse is that the Australian Bishops have issued a public statement about a number of doctrinal problems with this book.
According to Catholic World News:
At their May meeting, the Australian bishops warn that Confronting Power calls into question "the authority of the Catholic Church to teach the truth definitively." The book reflects "Bishop Robinson’s uncertainty about the knowledge and authority of Christ himself," the bishops report.
The bishops' statement goes on to note problems with the bishop's book on "among other things, the nature of Tradition, the inspiration of the Holy Scripture, the infallibility of the Councils and the Pope, the authority of the Creeds, the nature of the ministerial priesthood and central elements of the Church’s moral teaching."
Once again, what are they thinking over at St. John’s? First it was accolades for the former Montgomery Council member Marilyn Praisner. Now, they advertise of a dissident organization event with a bishop who seems to waiver on a number of doctrinal issues. What next?
5 comments:
This is from the VOTF sebsite:
"Voice of the Faithful has not developed many policy positions to date, and those we have developed focus on the sexual abuse crisis. We have said that the Church has a responsibility to respond to survivors in a meaningful, healing way. We have said that bishops and laity in each diocese should engage in a serious and substantive dialogue. We have said that the structures of decision-making that gave rise to this crisis - secrecy and deception - should be exposed to the healing power of sunlight and disclosure. These policies make sense. These policies respond to the crisis facing our Church. These policies address the real problems confronting parish priests, bishops, and laity".
Where is the dissidence?
Please take a moment and read the excellent article on VOTF by Deal Hudson:
http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/hudson/voiceofthefaithful.html
I'm at a loss as to why you consider Voice of the Faithful a dissident organization. I refer you to a study of the group by two sociologists: "Voices of the Faithful:Loyal Catholics Striving for Change" by W V D'Antonio and A Pogorelc, Crossroad, 2007.
Some of their findings:One in three male members of VOTF are also members of the Knights of Columbus; 54% attended Catholic colleges; VOTF members are twice as likely as the average Catholic to be a Eucharistic minister, a CCD teacher, a greeter or usher in their parishes.
These statistics indicate that VOTF members are devoted and loyal Catholics. Surely you did not know this or you would not have called the group "dissident." Or were you just quoting someone else?
I was baffled by your article title: "Disgraced Australian Bishop Geoffrey Robinson speaks in the Archdiocese of Washington." Sincce when is someone who questions church authority "disgraced?" The bishops did not do a good job in resolving the sex scandal --- even the pope said it was poorly handled. One can disagree with Bishop Robinson, but that's hardly grounds to call him "disgraced."
If you read my posting (above) I did not call him disgraced.
Post a Comment