Notice of Los Angeles Sidewalk News Conference on November 10th
Los Angeles --
Nov 7, 2008 --
New Catholic group urges parishioners “Stop Donating”
It decries continuing protection of pedophile priests by bishops
Lay people must use “power of the purse” to “force real reform”
Ongoing secrecy in Church finances is basically “taxation without representation”
Nov. 16th is first international “Withholding Sunday”
WHAT
Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference, Catholics will prod fellow parishioners to withhold financial donations on November 16th . This first nationwide, indeed worldwide Withholding Sunday, will send the bishops a message that irresponsibility and secrecy will no longer be tolerated
WHEN
Monday, Nov 10, 11:30 a.m.
WHERE
Outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W Temple St, in downtown Los Angeles
WHO
Three-four members of a new organization called “Send the Bishops a Message” (http://www.sendthebishopsamessage.com) and supporters from SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) and a Catholic reform group called Voice of the Faithful (VOTF.org)
WHY
Reasons we are taking this action:
The ongoing failure of Catholic Church officials to protect children from dangerous clerical predators
The bishops’ failure to provide acceptable levels of stewardship for Catholics’ hard-earned donations
The refusal of Church officials to accept responsibility for their grave moral failures in the clergy sex abuse crisis. They repeatedly "apologize," but neither admit to covering up sex crimes against children nor accept their part in the grave scandal brought down upon Catholics everywhere.
After almost 6 years since the Dallas Charter of 2002, high-level Church officials are still protecting both clerical sexual predators and those who shield these predators
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony approved a $660 million settlement with clergy sex abuse victims, yet still uses every legal maneuver at his disposal to maintain the secrecy of Church files he agreed to hand over to victims’ attorneys as part of the settlement.
Catholics have no elections, recall procedures, or impeachment processes that allow them to replace those who have cost parishioners so much. Withholding donations is the best way for a disenfranchised laity to send, with one voice, a message to church officials in the only language they understand--MONEY!
CONTACT – Frank Douglas, national director of Send the Bishops a Message, 520 404 2489 (cell) or 520 579 9575 (home); Debby Bodkin 949 290 5516; Mary Jane McGraw 818 917 3555; Sam Cordova 818 667 1005
