VOTF

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AmberDale:
what is VOTF?
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It’s kind of a long thread, but that question is answered by the end of the first page. They have a website that will come up on any search engine.
 
To Elizabeth Anne and 4 Marks:

In the early Catholic Church, circa 100 AD, the rules of participation in the community life of the Church were tough, really tough. Members guilty of serious mortal sin, such as fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, … etc, were forced to stand OUTSIDE the Church for x months, and only gradually allowed to reenter community. The guilty were forced to ‘pay’ by being purged through public ‘confession’ of wrongdoing. It took a long purgative process of acceptance until finally they could receive holy communion again. One’s solemn bow before the Eucharist was as eloquent as the accompanying Gregorian chant in Latin.

Today, our priests absolve these same mortal sins with about 5 Hail Mary’s without the slightest qualms. These days the profound impact of mortal sin seems to have been lost on both the laity and the priesthood. These days the Eucharist is received with casual attitude and hardly a nod.

Back then, to become a Christian was a heavy, costly decision, for one knew life and limb to be in danger from offical persecution by Roman authorities.Today, all one has to do is go through a 9 month indoctrination program, RCIA, which leaves untested the true Faith of the candidate.

Back then Confirmation involved becoming a true soldier of Christ with all the inherent risks of persecution, and death, maybe by burning on a cross as amusement for Nero’s homosexual courtesans. Today, all a Bishop does to signify the pain and suffering it takes to become a battle-ready and confirmed soldier of Christ is a light slap on the cheek of those receiving the sacrament.

Isn’t it obvious how much the Church has slipped down a slope of accomodation to the Flesh? Such slight of hand doesn’t cut it. We now have a generation of spiritual wimps. Surely the majority of so-called Catholics would walk out if the Church got tough again, or if persecution were to resurge.

The Church has become a shrewd business organization with a Wonderbread product to sell,( preferably stale, fluffywhite bread with preservatives, not fresh-baked, wholegrain wheat). The Church well knows to instinctively dilute the message of tough disciplehood. Synthetically-enriched white bread sells well, – natural whole grain wheat doesn’t. With all its structural and charitable and educational obligations, the Church has little choice but to cater to the vanities of the Flesh. Gradually over the centuries, our Hierarchy has become as shallow and vain as the majority of its lay members. What’s really sad is many of our priests (like Fr Thomas Doyle) are good-hearted men being persecuted even defrocked for trying to whistleblow the good-old-boy corruption all around them.

In the 4th century, something curous and strange happened. Maybe the day is near when the Faithful will become so fed up, they will take leave of lax church communities, abandoning their polluted, unwholesome atmosphere, for the clean air of solitude, fasting on whole-wheat bread and water, and silently praying for eternal life in desert cloisters. Maybe we need another St Anthony and a whole new generation of Desert Fathers. I think something as dramatic may have to occur if the Church is to be renewed. Can VOTF clean these Herculean stables? Hardly!
 
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Weeorphan:
To Elizabeth Anne and 4 Marks:

In the early Catholic Church, circa 100 AD, the rules of participation in the community life of the Church were tough, really tough. Members guilty of serious mortal sin, such as fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, … etc, were forced to stand OUTSIDE the Church for x months, and only gradually allowed to reenter community. The guilty were forced to ‘pay’ by being purged through public ‘confession’ of wrongdoing. It took a long purgative process of acceptance until finally they could receive holy communion again. One’s solemn bow before the Eucharist was as eloquent as the accompanying Gregorian chant in Latin.

Today, our priests absolve these same mortal sins with about 5 Hail Mary’s without the slightest qualms. These days the profound impact of mortal sin seems to have been lost on both the laity and the priesthood. These days the Eucharist is received with casual attitude and hardly a nod.

Back then, to become a Christian was a heavy, costly decision, for one knew life and limb to be in danger from offical persecution by Roman authorities.Today, all one has to do is go through a 9 month indoctrination program, RCIA, which leaves untested the true Faith of the candidate.

Back then Confirmation involved becoming a true soldier of Christ with all the inherent risks of persecution, and death, maybe by burning on a cross as amusement for Nero’s homosexual courtesans. Today, all a Bishop does to signify the pain and suffering it takes to become a battle-ready and confirmed soldier of Christ is a light slap on the cheek of those receiving the sacrament.

Isn’t it obvious how much the Church has slipped down a slope of accomodation to the Flesh. Such slight of hand doesn’t cut it. We now have a generation of spiritual wimps. Surely the majority of so-called Catholics would walk out if the Church got tough again, or if persecution were to resurge.

The Church has become a shrewd business organization with a Wonderbread product to sell,( preferably stale white bread with preservatives, not wholesome fresh-baked whole wheat). The Church well knows to instinctively dilute the message of tough disciplehood. White bread sells well, – whole wheat doesn’t. With all its structural obligations, the Church has little choice but to cater to the vanities of the Flesh. Gradually over the centuries, our Hierarchy has become as shallow and vain as the majority of its lay members. What’s really sad is many of our priests are good- hearted men being persecuted even defrocked for trying to whistleblow the good-old-boy corruption all around them.

In the 4th century, something curous and strange happened. Maybe the day is near when the Faithful will become so fed up, they will take leave of lax church communities, abandoning their polluted, unwholesome atmosphere, for the clean air and hair shirts, fasting on whole-wheat bread and water, and silently praying for eternal life in desert cloisters. Maybe we need another St Anthony and a whole new generation of Desert Fathers. I think something as dramatic may have to occur if the Church is to be renewed. Can VOTF clean these Herculean stables? Hardly!
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While I admire and share your rejection of the complacent malaise that has crept over much of the Church, I certainly would not adopt the extreme measures that you propose as the norm. Groups like VOTF on one end of the spectrum and SSPX on the other have definite and skewed agendas. Both groups share this in common…the objective to “change” the Church.
I do not hold such an objective. I do not want to “change” the Church. I do want to serve God fully and faithfully as her loyal member, and to grow in wisdom and in grace so that God can continually transform me through participation in her to become the best version of myself. It is my hope that as God works with other faithful members of His Church, the Church can blossom into that vocation for which she has been established and called to be…the Bride of Christ.
 
Please check the previous messages on this thread for details on VOTF. or go to VOTF.org.

VOTF makes one of its missions to support distinguished priests being persecuted for their integrity. I previously noted Fr Thomas Doyle was awarded priest of the year by VOTF. He was a whistleblower that is being stripped of retirement benefits by his bishop as punishment for challenging the ‘good-old-boy’ network. If you doubt some of our Hierarchy is capable of dancing with ravenous wolves, read on …

Info below: Contact Fr. Hayes directly with questions.

****Donations Needed ****

****for Support Group For Priests ****

who are Victims of Clergy Abuse.

********Fr. Gary Hayes is a survivor of sexual abuse by another priest and remains a priest today in Kentucky. He has received permission from his bishop to start a support group for other priests who are victims. Over 10 priests are now a part of this group. The group is called Three Camels & a Star.

Donations are needed to pay for travel and lodging costs so these priests can meet for the first time face to face. $10,000 is needed.****

Fr. Hayes said, “The primary purpose of the group is to provide support. One of the hardest things to deal with is the isolation, feeling alone. It is important to know ‘WE ARE NOT ALONE.’ Another hard thing to deal with is the silent treatment from church authorities or being silenced by them. Three Camels and a Star provides an opportunity to speak your truth. It does not matter at who’s hands we suffered this abuse. The only thing that matters is that we find ways to heal the hurt and shame and regain our dignity and self-worth. “
To donate, make check out to Three Camels & a Star, and send it to:

Fr. Gary R. Hayes

St. Rose Church

118 Chestnut St.

Cloverport, KY 40111
****Email questions to Fr. Hayes at tobeau@earthlink.net.
Thank you.
 
VOTF is a group of dissenters hell bent on destroying the Church.

catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4462

catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=6003

catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4610

catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=5320

newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/8/11/172152.shtml

catholicmediacoalition.org/dissenters1.htm

jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/1402.htm

conservativemonitor.com/society03/14.shtml

conservativemonitor.com/society03/12.shtml

saveourchurch.org/votfunfaith.html

ad2000.com.au/articles/2003/sep2003p6_1429.html

tfp.org/TFPForum/catholic_perspective/votf.htm

wf-f.org/faithfulstlouis.html

catholicleague.org/bishopmurphy/votfreport.htm

thecowl.com/news/2002/10/17/Commentary/catholic.Group.Denies.Most.Basic.Teachings-300136.shtml

sffaith.com/ed/articles/2003/0903fm.htm

Plenty more where that came from…
 
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fix[

Re: VOTF](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/member.php?u=2963)](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/member.php?u=2963)Truer words were I’ve never heard fix!

You are right, we the laity ARE NOT in any better shape than the clergy. So what makes us think that we can do any better?

We can’t.

I once went to a VOTF meeting here in my own diocese a few years ago.

It was FULL of dissenters - from top to bottom.

Oh God, PLEASE ALLOW this organization to dissolve quickly into the mud - from whence it came.

And Quickly Too!
 
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