(RNS) Voice of the Faithful, the lay Catholic reform group created during the clergy sex abuse scandal, reported Monday (July 13) that it is quickly running out of cash.
Appealing to supporters for “immediate help,” the organization requested $60,000 by the end of the month to keep its doors open.
“Voice of the Faithful isn’t going away or abandoning its mission or goals,” said Bill Casey, chairman of the organization’s board.
The worst-case scenario, he said, will be to close its national headquarters but still operate on a volunteer basis through its network of affiliates.
Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), begun by disenchanted lay Catholics, supports survivors of clergy sex abuse and “priests of integrity” while also seeking structural change, transparency and greater lay involvement within the Catholic Church.
What began as a small gathering in a church basement outside Boston has become a 25,000-member organization in just seven years. Membership peaked at about 40,000 after the scandal erupted in early 2002, but has been falling ever since.
With many investigations into clergy abuse complete, some have questioned the continued need for VOTF.
“They should do the honorable thing and say listen, we hope we have pushed people in the church to change some things,” said Bill Donohue, president of the conservative advocacy group Catholic League. “Then they should close up shop.”
VOTF’s activist stance has put off some conservatives, like Donohue, who see VOTF’s mission as overstepping the proper role of the laity. Casey countered that regardless of the group’s own outcome, VOTF will not be silenced, and the needs are still there.
“You do not see front-page stories as much anymore, but we still have indications of abuses and cover-ups happening,” said Casey. “The problem now is the underlying causes that allowed this all to happen in the first place.”
In publicizing its financial woes, Casey said the organization is merely practicing the kind of transparency it has been calling the Catholic Church to do.
The $60,000 will be a “short-term infusion,” but long-range planning has been in the works and a strategic plan is forthcoming in August. In the future, membership will also include a financial contribution.
In the last two years, the board of trustees has slashed the organization’s budget by almost a third each fiscal year. VOTF has cut salaries and moved its office from Newton, Mass., to Needham, Mass., for cheaper rent.
