VOTF publishes demands to Pope

"Please accept this letter as a request for your help," the letter begins.

It should've stopped there.

However [sigh], we are next treated to the introduction:

Our organization represents 32,000 faithful, active, and mature Catholics in the United States. We ask that you help us to better serve the Church we love by putting into place processes and procedures that enable more lay participation in the administration of the Church at the local level.

The key word here would be "mature." "Aging baby boomers" would do just as well. And, uh..."32,000" members? The organization started four years ago with...30,000 members. Only 2,000 have joined since then?

Your papal ministry has given us hope as we deal with the crisis in the American Church.

No kidding? Then I must've been dreaming when, a year ago last April 19, I saw some of these same people crying at the notion that Cardinal Ratzinger was the new Pope!

Modestly, the letter continues:

Because we are a group who is well educated and who have been active in the life of the Church, we were gratified when you chose the name Benedict because it disclosed your own model for your new ministry. We are encouraged by your first encyclical and by your welcoming treatment of Hans Küng.

Good grief.

For more idiocy, feel free to follow this link. And do pray for these folks.

Everybody needs prayers. Even the most able among us.

We indeed are competent in many areas that could serve our beloved Church during this time of crisis. We are particularly competent in the areas of the development of children and their needs. We are also highly competent in the various areas of financial expertise as well as in the management and administration of institutions. This has been demonstrated in our schools and hospitals for decades.

After a bulleted list of demands — sorry, "requests" — I think we sorta get to the meat of the letter:

One more request would be to ask the bishops to remove all bans that they have instituted prohibiting the concerned Catholics who make up local Voice of the Faithful affiliates from meeting on church property.

Sheesh.

We need your help and we welcome the opportunity to work with you to heal the Church here in America.

Unless, of course, you get all "Catholic" on us...in which case kindly disregard this letter.