Voice of the Faithful?

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Does anyone out there have a take on Voice of the Faithful? Is it a group which is good for the Church or not? I’m trying to find out because there’s confusion in our parish about it.
 
In a nutshell, they are not (the voice of the faithful). They are a very dissident group whose agenda seems to be a “restructuring” of the Church according to their own agenda.

Peace,
Linda
 
Yes, and you may also wish to visit this web site (note: this web site is not VOTF, it is called Faithful Voice and they counter VOTF):

faithfulvoice.com/

Greg
 
:tiphat: Thanks for all the (name removed by moderator)ut regarding VOTF. I’m accessing the various websites. Sounds like really scary stuff! NO, we won’t ignore any attempts to bring VOTF to our parish! God bless, be talking to you! 👋
 
some votf folks came to our parish and did a presentation and they forgot to God in any of their diagrams of why the Catholic church doesn’t work.

They told my husband that God was implied. I am sure God felt very honored and worshipped by this group at that point.

Wouldn’t we love to implied we were significant to our children?
 
VOTF is a fine group. If you are truly seeking information, I suggest you first hear what they haveto say about themselves rather than let their attackers define them.

Archbishop Sean did well to reach out to them.
 
Katherine2:
I’ve listened to what VOTF has had to say in my own diocese and frankly have not been impressed. In fact, much of the material on their website expresses their distrust, anger and frustration with our Church leaders. These certainly don’t seem to be very Christian responses to me. One VOTF member said that the Catholic Church is OUR church and not the Bishops’…Funny…I always thought the Catholic Church was Jesus’ Church. Who is VOTF to try to usurp that authority?

I find it suspicious when groups use phrases like “voice of the faithful,” and “empowering the laity.” It makes me wonder just whose values and identities those attempting to speak for the faithful and laity are imposing on the rest of us. Perhaps VOTF in your diocese has a different attitude and direction than the one in mine, but I certainly remain suspect.

As an American I appreciate the values of a democractic driven society, but as an attorney I find that the tyranny of the people is as equally a frightening concept as autocratic tyranny. Therefore, I would just as soon not let some grass-roots, democratized and reactionary group speak for me and my faith. Let’s keep the Catholic Church a theocracy, please!

In Jesus and Mary
Fiat
 
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Fiat:
Katherine2:
I’ve listened to what VOTF has had to say in my own diocese and frankly have not been impressed. In fact, much of the material on their website expresses their distrust, anger and frustration with our Church leaders. These certainly don’t seem to be very Christian responses to me. One VOTF member said that the Catholic Church is OUR church and not the Bishops’…Funny…I always thought the Catholic Church was Jesus’ Church. Who is VOTF to try to usurp that authority?

I find it suspicious when groups use phrases like “voice of the faithful,” and “empowering the laity.” It makes me wonder just whose values and identities those attempting to speak for the faithful and laity are imposing on the rest of us. Perhaps VOTF in your diocese has a different attitude and direction than the one in mine, but I certainly remain suspect.

As an American I appreciate the values of a democractic driven society, but as an attorney I find that the tyranny of the people is as equally a frightening concept as autocratic tyranny. Therefore, I would just as soon not let some grass-roots, democratized and reactionary group speak for me and my faith. Let’s keep the Catholic Church a theocracy, please!
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:amen: Fiat! Annunciata:)
 
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katherine2:
VOTF is a fine group. If you are truly seeking information, I suggest you first hear what they haveto say about themselves rather than let their attackers define them.

Archbishop Sean did well to reach out to them.
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With all due respect Katherine, I’ll not listen to “wolves in sheeps clothing” Thank you, but no thank you!!! Annunciata:mad:
p.s. I would refer you to this link:
catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4462
 
Coder said:
From VOTF:
***The ban on birth control promotes shame. ***
Women should be ordained.
votf.org/papers/AWomansPlace.html]

the greatest defense of VOTF is the dishonesty its opponets feel they must use to attack it. Of course, the link above does not state that VOTF supports either of those positions. VOTF held a conference and asked people to submitt papers on their thoughts. They posted the papers on their internet site with the following clarification:

“As a part of VOTF’s July 20th convention, VOTF invited Catholics to write a short paper about their opinion on the crisis and suggestions on how VOTF should achieve its three goals. The following papers were submitted and are arranged alphabetically by title. Each paper contains the name of the author and his/her email address. These papers represent the ideas and opinions of the author only and not VOTF.”

Why is it that people think that they need to be dishonest in attacking VOTF? Certain providing a forum for Catholics to share their ideas is not the same as endorsing or supporting them. If that were thrue, Mr. Keating of CA would be endorsing everything I post!!!

Now, Fiat presents are fair assessment. Fiat is free to “have not been impressed”, “suspicious”, etc. That’s fair and honest. Fiat is expressing a personal. gut feeling.
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katherine2:
These papers represent the ideas and opinions of the author only and not VOTF."
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And if those ideas are contrary to the teaching of the Church, what does that say about groups that give them a forum for dissemination, when that group claims it is working for the “good” of the church?

Take women’s ordination. It is taught de fide that the Sacramant of Holy Orders is to be given to men and men only. Is it any more appropriate for Catholics to give those out to attack that teaching a forum than it is to, say, give a forum to those who deny the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist?

VOTF’s motto calls for keeping the faith and changing the church. Giving a forum for those who oppose the teaching of the Magisterium makes one wonder if, at best, the group is a bit confused. At worst, it is much worse.

One of the things that was used to move the Anglicans in the West out of the orbit of historic Christianity was the mechanism of giving every idea equal status and wide publication. One would hope we Catholics would learn something from that debacle.

Blessings,

Gerry
 
Gerry Hunter:
And if those ideas are contrary to the teaching of the Church, what does that say about groups that give them a forum for dissemination, when that group claims it is working for the “good” of the church?

Blessings,

Gerry
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Gee, ask the moderators of this forum, who do exactly the same.
 
Katherine2:

With all due respect, I don’t think the comparison is quite the same. As far as I am aware, the moderators of this forum are not pretending to be the “voice of the faithful.”

I am curious, though. With regard to VOTF’s motto, how is it possible to Keep the Faith and Change the Church?

In Jesus and Mary
Fiat
 
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