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Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is an organization of progressive Catholics, formed in early 2002 in response to the Catholic sex abuse cases. ==Founding, growth and mission== VOTF began when a small group of parishioners met in the basement of St. John the Evangelist Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to pray over allegations that a priest had abused local youngsters. Its meetings soon became well attended, as well as attracting significant media attention. A conference it held in July 2002 attracted over 4,000 lay Catholics, victims of clergy sexual abuse, theologians, priests and religious from around the United States of America and the world.〔("Catholics Hoping to Shift Bit Of Power From Pulpit to Pew" ), ''The New York Times, July 21, 2002. Accessed April 4, 2008.〕 Less than a year after its founding, VOTF was able to claim 30,000 members worldwide.〔("Law, Citing Abuse Scandal, Quits As Boston Archbishop And Asks For Forgiveness" ), December 14, 2002. Accessed April 4, 2008.〕 VOTF currently has members in all 50 states and in 21 nations, with over 150 Parish Voice affiliates. Jim Muller, one of VOTF's co-founders and its first president, has written a book about the group's founding called ''Keep the Faith, Change the Church''. VOTF's mission statement is: "To provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church." It has articulated three goals: # To support victims of clergy sexual abuse; # To support priests of integrity; and # To shape structural change within Church. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Voice of the Faithful」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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