Comments on: Must Read: Tom Doyle on VOTF and Structural Reform of the Catholic Church http://reform-network.net/?p=1318 Supporting survivors of clergy sexual abuse and examining the cover up, causes, and effects of that abuse Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:34:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Antwan Schuette http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-11221 Antwan Schuette Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:50:49 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-11221 Hi, what blog platform is this? Can I download it for free or..? I would really love it if you could answer this question! Thanks in advance! Hi, what blog platform is this? Can I download it for free or..? I would really love it if you could answer this question! Thanks in advance!

]]> By: Mary Reichel http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-4895 Mary Reichel Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:20:24 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-4895 This article strikes a chord with me and brings tears to my eyes. But I must believe that things are not so hopeless as the author contends. As Catholics, we must not forget the power of prayer. In the past, the "power" praying was done for us by holy women and men in our religious orders. These "masters of prayer" are almost gone, and maybe this is part of the problem of today's Church. Now it is up to the laity to provide the dedicated contemplative prayer hours that are so sorely needed! I am currently participating in a Diocesan lay prayer ministry dedicated to prayer for healing for: victims, families, priests, religious, abusers, and the Church. Anyone can pray more, whether they are in an organization or not. Prayer CAN bring about the miracles, the healing, and the changes of heart that are needed! I invite Mr. Doyle and all those who are concerned about the sad mismanagement of today's Catholic Church to join me. Just increase your prayer time by one hour per day. Have faith, my fellow Catholics! Pray and meditate more. Offer the suffering you experience from your righteous outrage at the injustice, the callous disrespect for laity, the distrust of women, and the self-serving cynicism of the heirarchy. Miracles will happen. Doors will open. The Way for effective action will be made clear. Come Holy Spirit! This article strikes a chord with me and brings tears to my eyes. But I must believe that things are not so hopeless as the author contends.

As Catholics, we must not forget the power of prayer. In the past, the “power” praying was done for us by holy women and men in our religious orders. These “masters of prayer” are almost gone, and maybe this is part of the problem of today’s Church.

Now it is up to the laity to provide the dedicated contemplative prayer hours that are so sorely needed!

I am currently participating in a Diocesan lay prayer ministry dedicated to prayer for healing for: victims, families, priests, religious, abusers, and the Church. Anyone can pray more, whether they are in an organization or not.

Prayer CAN bring about the miracles, the healing, and the changes of heart that are needed! I invite Mr. Doyle and all those who are concerned about the sad mismanagement of today’s Catholic Church to join me. Just increase your prayer time by one hour per day.

Have faith, my fellow Catholics! Pray and meditate more. Offer the suffering you experience from your righteous outrage at the injustice, the callous disrespect for laity, the distrust of women, and the self-serving cynicism of the heirarchy.

Miracles will happen. Doors will open. The Way for effective action will be made clear.

Come Holy Spirit!

]]> By: John Massam http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-3808 John Massam Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:01:44 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-3808 The writer above who thinks that the Catholic Church is founded upon Peter, the rock, needs to read the scripture and other texts a bit more closely. We read in the Bible that Paul went to Rome (west of Jerusalem). We read in an epistle of Peter that he was in Babylon (east of Jerusalem), with his son Mark. Peter and Paul did NOT get on well, in spite of what some Churches would have you believe. In spite of the hype, Peter probably did NOT go to Rome. What really happened is that the Empire had two capitals, Rome and Constantinople, and after the Christians were allowed out of hiding, both cities vied for the top position. The bishop of Rome was called the patriarch of the West, and Constantinople's bishop was called the ecumenical patriarch. There was so much war that much of the documentation was destroyed. But look up a good Enchyclopaedia for the "Donation of Constantine" and you will find this was a forgery that pretended that Constantine the Great gave all Italy to the Pope, and offered him the imperial crown. It took humanity until about the 1700s or 1800s to realise that this was a big forgery -- in fact, an improbable forgery if you think about it. Many of the pretensions of the Vatican are as paper-thin as the Donation of Constantine. The writer above who thinks that the Catholic Church is founded upon Peter, the rock, needs to read the scripture and other texts a bit more closely. We read in the Bible that Paul went to Rome (west of Jerusalem). We read in an epistle of Peter that he was in Babylon (east of Jerusalem), with his son Mark. Peter and Paul did NOT get on well, in spite of what some Churches would have you believe. In spite of the hype, Peter probably did NOT go to Rome. What really happened is that the Empire had two capitals, Rome and Constantinople, and after the Christians were allowed out of hiding, both cities vied for the top position. The bishop of Rome was called the patriarch of the West, and Constantinople’s bishop was called the ecumenical patriarch. There was so much war that much of the documentation was destroyed. But look up a good Enchyclopaedia for the “Donation of Constantine” and you will find this was a forgery that pretended that Constantine the Great gave all Italy to the Pope, and offered him the imperial crown. It took humanity until about the 1700s or 1800s to realise that this was a big forgery — in fact, an improbable forgery if you think about it. Many of the pretensions of the Vatican are as paper-thin as the Donation of Constantine.

]]> By: Cynthia Falter http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-3063 Cynthia Falter Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:19:50 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-3063 I just want to say THANK YOU TOM DOYLE for being who you are and saying what is right and just. As a survivor or repeated rape by a Catholic Priest George nivelle rucker both my sister and I have experienced all the above you spoke about as well as my family members there were once 35 of us whom attended and now theres is only 1. THE PAIN THE BEAURACRACY THE DEVASTATION OF BEING RVICTIMIZED HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL . AS I VOMIT STILL UPON SEEING CLERGY IN THERE GARB I STILL SUFFER THE AFTERMATH OF BEING SO TINY A CHILD TOUNCHED OVER AND OVER AGIN BY A MAN WHOM LED MYSELF AND MY FAMILY TO BELIVE HE WAS A ADVOCATE OF GOD AND BY HIS USING THE BIBLE AND QOUTES TO DIDDLE ME I STILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE HEARING OF BIBLE WORDS...USING THE SACRAMENTS OF THE MASS TO DO WHAT HE DID AND THAN HAVING ....MAHONEY CO- SIGN SUCH BEHAVIORS BY DOING NOTHING BUT DRAGG ME THROU EXCESS OF 300 QUESTIONS OF THE DISGUSTING DETAILS IS UNFORGIVEABLE CONDUCT BY ANY SOCIAL STANDARD . KEEP IT UP TOM DOYLE FOR YOU ARE AT LAST A MAN WHOM I CAN SEE AS ONE WHOS GIVING ME BACK A TINY PICE OF HEALING BY YOUR DEVOTION TO REVEAL THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH ! I just want to say THANK YOU TOM DOYLE for being who you are and saying what is right and just.

As a survivor or repeated rape by a Catholic Priest George nivelle rucker both my sister and I have experienced all the above you spoke about as well as my family members there were once 35 of us whom attended and now theres is only 1. THE PAIN THE BEAURACRACY THE DEVASTATION OF BEING RVICTIMIZED HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL . AS I VOMIT STILL UPON SEEING CLERGY IN THERE GARB I STILL SUFFER THE AFTERMATH OF BEING SO TINY A CHILD TOUNCHED OVER AND OVER AGIN BY A MAN WHOM LED MYSELF AND MY FAMILY TO BELIVE HE WAS A ADVOCATE OF GOD AND BY HIS USING THE BIBLE AND QOUTES TO DIDDLE ME I STILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE HEARING OF BIBLE WORDS…USING THE SACRAMENTS OF THE MASS TO DO WHAT HE DID AND THAN HAVING ….MAHONEY CO- SIGN SUCH BEHAVIORS BY DOING NOTHING BUT DRAGG ME THROU EXCESS OF 300 QUESTIONS OF THE DISGUSTING DETAILS IS UNFORGIVEABLE CONDUCT BY ANY SOCIAL STANDARD . KEEP IT UP TOM DOYLE FOR YOU ARE AT LAST A MAN WHOM I CAN SEE AS ONE WHOS GIVING ME BACK A TINY PICE OF HEALING BY YOUR DEVOTION TO REVEAL THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH !

]]> By: BRO.JACOB NERYAMPALLIL http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-1223 BRO.JACOB NERYAMPALLIL Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:39:22 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-1223 Hi I am Bro.Jacob Neryampallil, have seen your article regarding the structural reform of the catholic church I am a Franciscan Missionary Brother,currently posted in Saudi Arabia, looking for a chance to be a better person so as to bring forth good tidings to the most wanted men and women on earth. I read some of the article of yours, is there any facility to join you?, and give the best services to the poor, orphans, unwanted elderly people and more. Hope to get reply from you Tom,Lord Bless you. Hi
I am Bro.Jacob Neryampallil, have seen your article regarding the structural reform of the catholic church
I am a Franciscan Missionary Brother,currently posted in Saudi Arabia, looking for a chance to be a better person so as to bring forth good tidings to the most wanted men and women on earth.
I read some of the article of yours, is there any facility to join you?, and give the best services to the poor,
orphans, unwanted elderly people and more. Hope to get reply from you Tom,Lord Bless you.

]]> By: Marie Laverriere-Boucher http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-1212 Marie Laverriere-Boucher Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:17:21 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-1212 I agree with Tom-internal church re-structuring is hopeless at this time. We need to let the "church" fall apart by it's own devices. I have separated myself from this sick institutional system of abuse. As a woman the roman catholic "church" has blacklisted me as an abortionist because as a state legislator I voted against bad bills put forward by extremists "pro-lifers" some who threatened to hurt or kill me--where I needed police protection. The Roman Catholic Diocese of the State in which I reside (Maine) told me I'd never work in the RCC as long as I lived because of my voting record. It didn't matter that I voted with an informed conscience. I have 4 academic degrees, two of which are theological. I have done long term foster care for 20 years and still the Bishop, Vicar General and Chancelor of the Diocese of Maine told me that I would not be allowed to work in the Church for the rest of my life because I was not "pro-life". My husband and I took care of foster teen boys for 20 years--not an easy task since most of them had experienced abuse and they had lots of issues. If doing this work is not "pro-life" I'd like to hear what is. My exodus from the church as been a great blessing for me. I have experienced a freeing that I have never known before. I minister in a public high school as a social worker and I also provide healing opportunities for people seeking help with physicial or emotional issues--God works in mysterious ways and I am a witness to God's presence on the fringes of society. I believe I am following the path that Jesus took. I agree with Tom-internal church re-structuring is hopeless at this time. We need to let the “church” fall apart by it’s own devices. I have separated myself from this sick institutional system of abuse. As a woman the roman catholic “church” has blacklisted me as an abortionist because as a state legislator I voted against bad bills put forward by extremists “pro-lifers” some who threatened to hurt or kill me–where I needed police protection. The Roman Catholic Diocese of the State in which I reside (Maine) told me I’d never work in the RCC as long as I lived because of my voting record. It didn’t matter that I voted with an informed conscience. I have 4 academic degrees, two of which are theological. I have done long term foster care for 20 years and still the Bishop, Vicar General and Chancelor of the Diocese of Maine told me that I would not be allowed to work in the Church for the rest of my life because I was not “pro-life”. My husband and I took care of foster teen boys for 20 years–not an easy task since most of them had experienced abuse and they had lots of issues. If doing this work is not “pro-life” I’d like to hear what is. My exodus from the church as been a great blessing for me. I have experienced a freeing that I have never known before. I minister in a public high school as a social worker and I also provide healing opportunities for people seeking help with physicial or emotional issues–God works in mysterious ways and I am a witness to God’s presence on the fringes of society. I believe I am following the path that Jesus took.

]]> By: Carlos Perez-carrillo Survivor http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-1169 Carlos Perez-carrillo Survivor Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:35:08 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-1169 Tom Doyle is a true hero who has been advocating the truth for about 25 years. He has ben ostrazied & stigmatized as a parriha for bringing forward the truth by the figure heads of the institutional church. We survivors have felt these effects as well. I find it to be sad & unfortunate that Tom is now being set aside by the laity as I & most survivors have been. The most irrepairable damage to survivors has not come from the Figure heads whom only seek self preservation but from the laity who blindly follow them & in turn ostrasize us following the example of thier leadership who is niether holy or enlightend by the Holy Spirit. Bill casey writes that the church is a living organisim. In it's current state I submitt to everyone that the church is quit the opposite. Now the LAITY in the form of the VOTF BOARD is sitting on the coat tails of the ROME POWER STRUCTURE & putting Tom out! an insult to DOYLE, to myself & all survivors. The only possitive thing that has come from my sexual abuse is that I have acuierd the knowledge of the truth & am free from it. The jurney has been painful & I have suffered loses that will never be replaced. Tom Doyle, for all intent & pourpose is a survior like myself who has lost it all because the scales that clouded his sight fell from his eyes like a modern day St. Paul. Tom attempted to reform the church a tall order for one man, but he unknowingly started something that he knew not where it would lead. I am certain that Tom must have felt hope when VOTF was created. The Laity was at long last beggining to understand & would make a true commitment to reform the church, unfortunatly there are folks who want to make nice with the figure heads. This is FUTILE, an unfortunate truth. I have not lost faith in the Lord through all of the crimes perpetrated on me by the priest who molested me, by the figure heads who lied, protected, & participated in these crimes, & yes the laity for thinking that somewhere sometime the silver linning will be that the laity will have it's day in the future? should that not be NOW? if it is not now than trully NOTHING! I say NOTHING has changed at all. The blind will remain blind. As for myself most good catholic peaple & I say this in a hartfelt way, because bieng blind dose not make peaple bad. Most good catholics pity me for abandoning my religion. Pleadse don't pity me I am more free than most of them & still have my LORD without living in the shadow of the modern day pharasis. Many faithful still beleive in the word of the figure heads. They just can't come to terms with the painful reality that the power structure dose not have the laity's best interest at hart. These are strong words but like Tom Doyle The scales have fallen from my eyes & the unfortunate truth has been revealed to me. I hope soon not later that the laity take back this church not for my peace of mind "I don't need the catholic Church. but for thier own peace of mind. I believe that salvation is in the harts of men given by Christ. Not in the church or in the the harts of the figure heads. To Tom Doyle who I have personally met. He is a hero & fellow survivor not brcause of sexual molestation but because of the abuse that he has endured & continues to endure. To VOTF I agree with TOM YOU SHOULD FIRST SEEK OUT THE LOST SHEEP!! whom have been tossed out no differently than Tom. Priest of integraty?? show me 20 of them. True integraty not just nice guys who talk a good game. Guys who are willing to openly critize the church leadership directly. I have been all through out the country & have only met three & have heard of one. Tom Doyle speaks the truth Like Christ would have & has challanged the injustice perpetrated by the church leadership following christ example. Is Tom Doyle a tough talking brazen man? yes. But he lives the example christ set forth not the pamby mamby example that others do pretending to try to make a differance. This has been one survivors npoint of view. Tom Doyle is a true hero who has been advocating the truth for about 25 years. He has ben ostrazied & stigmatized as a parriha for bringing forward the truth by the figure heads of the institutional church. We survivors have felt these effects as well. I find it to be sad & unfortunate that Tom is now being set aside by the laity as I & most survivors have been. The most irrepairable damage to survivors has not come from the Figure heads whom only seek self preservation but from the laity who blindly follow them & in turn ostrasize us following the example of thier leadership who is niether holy or enlightend by the Holy Spirit. Bill casey writes that the church is a living organisim. In it’s current state I submitt to everyone that the church is quit the opposite. Now the LAITY in the form of the VOTF BOARD is sitting on the coat tails of the ROME POWER STRUCTURE & putting Tom out! an insult to DOYLE, to myself & all survivors. The only possitive thing that has come from my sexual abuse is that I have acuierd the knowledge of the truth & am free from it. The jurney has been painful & I have suffered loses that will never be replaced. Tom Doyle, for all intent & pourpose is a survior like myself who has lost it all because the scales that clouded his sight fell from his eyes like a modern day St. Paul. Tom attempted to reform the church a tall order for one man, but he unknowingly started something that he knew not where it would lead. I am certain that Tom must have felt hope when VOTF was created. The Laity was at long last beggining to understand & would make a true commitment to reform the church, unfortunatly there are folks who want to make nice with the figure heads. This is FUTILE, an unfortunate truth. I have not lost faith in the Lord through all of the crimes perpetrated on me by the priest who molested me, by the figure heads who lied, protected, & participated in these crimes, & yes the laity for thinking that somewhere sometime the silver linning will be that the laity will have it’s day in the future? should that not be NOW? if it is not now than trully NOTHING! I say NOTHING has changed at all. The blind will remain blind. As for myself most good catholic peaple & I say this in a hartfelt way, because bieng blind dose not make peaple bad. Most good catholics pity me for abandoning my religion. Pleadse don’t pity me I am more free than most of them & still have my LORD without living in the shadow of the modern day pharasis. Many faithful still beleive in the word of the figure heads. They just can’t come to terms with the painful reality that the power structure dose not have the laity’s best interest at hart. These are strong words but like Tom Doyle The scales have fallen from my eyes & the unfortunate truth has been revealed to me. I hope soon not later that the laity take back this church not for my peace of mind “I don’t need the catholic Church. but for thier own peace of mind. I believe that salvation is in the harts of men given by Christ. Not in the church or in the the harts of the figure heads. To Tom Doyle who I have personally met. He is a hero & fellow survivor not brcause of sexual molestation but because of the abuse that he has endured & continues to endure. To VOTF I agree with TOM YOU SHOULD FIRST SEEK OUT THE LOST SHEEP!! whom have been tossed out no differently than Tom. Priest of integraty?? show me 20 of them. True integraty not just nice guys who talk a good game. Guys who are willing to openly critize the church leadership directly. I have been all through out the country & have only met three & have heard of one. Tom Doyle speaks the truth Like Christ would have & has challanged the injustice perpetrated by the church leadership following christ example. Is Tom Doyle a tough talking brazen man? yes. But he lives the example christ set forth not the pamby mamby example that others do pretending to try to make a differance. This has been one survivors npoint of view.

]]> By: Voice from the Desert » Blog Archive » VOTF’s Board Distances Itself from Tom Doyle http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-1151 Voice from the Desert » Blog Archive » VOTF’s Board Distances Itself from Tom Doyle Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:22:40 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-1151 [...] I was shocked and dismayed when I read the letter from Bill Casey, Chair of VOTF’s Board of Trustees to Tom Doyle, a long-time friend of VOTF’s. Casey’s letter responds to Tom Doyle’s essay on VOTF and the Reform of the Governmental Structure of the Catholic Church, carried on this blog previ.... [...] [...] I was shocked and dismayed when I read the letter from Bill Casey, Chair of VOTF’s Board of Trustees to Tom Doyle, a long-time friend of VOTF’s. Casey’s letter responds to Tom Doyle’s essay on VOTF and the Reform of the Governmental Structure of the Catholic Church, carried on this blog previ…. [...]

]]> By: Peter Collett http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-1147 Peter Collett Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:13:33 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-1147 Tom, I loved your article. I was ordained in 1975, by the Pope, no less and after 20 years of struggle with a church that seemed more interested in itself than the people it was called to serve I walked away. It was the most painful thing I have ever done in my life because I loved the Priesthood and I know I have been "called" to Priesthood. My big thing was celibacy, rather than the abuse issues. Priests all over the world ignore the celibacy rule, Rome knows about it and simply look the other way, just like they do with the abuse issues. Because I was honest with myself and my God I have been badly treated by some clergy and people,. Other Priests who stay on are held up as heros and yet for some I know they lead a double life. Talk about dishonesty within our church, it's disgusting. Tom I know many Dominicans and I have the greatest respect for them, for they are never afraid to speak the truth. I now work in Prison Ministry. Now that's where Jesus would be if he was about to-day, not talking crap in the Vatican. Peter Collett. Tom,
I loved your article. I was ordained in 1975, by the Pope, no less and after 20 years of struggle with a church that seemed more interested in itself than the people it was called to serve I walked away. It was the most painful thing I have ever done in my life because I loved the Priesthood and I know I have been “called” to Priesthood.
My big thing was celibacy, rather than the abuse issues. Priests all over the world ignore the celibacy rule, Rome knows about it and simply look the other way, just like they do with the abuse issues. Because I was honest with myself and my God I have been badly treated by some clergy and people,. Other Priests who stay on are held up as heros and yet for some I know they lead a double life. Talk about dishonesty within our church, it’s disgusting.
Tom I know many Dominicans and I have the greatest respect for them, for they are never afraid to speak the truth.
I now work in Prison Ministry. Now that’s where Jesus would be if he was about to-day, not talking crap in the Vatican.

Peter Collett.

]]> By: Sister Ave Clark,OP. http://reform-network.net/?p=1318&cpage=1#comment-1123 Sister Ave Clark,OP. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:29:36 +0000 http://reform-network.net/?p=1318#comment-1123 As a Dominican speaking Veritas..the truth is our motto. I affrim Father Doyle,O.P. for his courage and also his hope for e church of justice, peace and love. As a Dominican speaking Veritas..the truth is our motto. I affrim Father Doyle,O.P. for his courage and also his hope for e church of justice, peace and love.

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