Pope Francis meets in Rome Oct. 1-3 with his eight cardinal advisors on Church governance. Voice of the Faithful® would like at least the following six reforms to be on the Pope’s agenda, and as a start, Voice of the Faithful sent a letter to Pope Francis in late August asking that a VOTF proposed for a change in the process of bishop selection be placed on the agenda:

1. Disciplinary action for any bishop who has covered up clergy sexual abuse

• Clerical Culture: Reality & Concerns
• Voice of the Faithful’s Conclusions about the John Jay College Report: The Causes & Contexts of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010
• The Pope’s Real Target: Clericalism
• Clerical Culture Among Roman Catholic Diocesan Clergy
• Voice of the Faithful Urges Pope Francis to “Act Decisively” Regarding Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse & His Message to Vatican Congregation

2. The ordination to the priesthood of married Catholic men

• A Petition to the American Bishops for the Ordination to the Priesthood of Married Catholic Men in the United States
• Crisis in the Priesthood: Conversations about Celibacy
• A Brief History of Celibacy
• Mandatory Celibacy: Time to Discuss Its Flaws

3. An expanded role for clergy and laity in selecting local bishops

• VOTF Letter to Pope Francis
• Furthering the New Evangelization: Consulting the Laity on Candidates for the Episcopacy
• Lay Input into Bishop Selection Process

4. The ordination of women to the diaconate

• Women Deacons: How Long Will It Take the Church to Open This Door
• Women in the Church: Suggested Readings

5. Removal of the mandate against the Leadership Conference of Women Religious

• Nun Justice Project: Support the Sisters
• Leadership Conference of Women Religious
• LCWR: ‘Radical Feminism’ or ‘Living the Gospel’

6. Financial accountability and transparency

• Nonfeasance: A detailed examination of the Catholic Church’s remarkable failure to protect its primary source of income: the Sunday collections, by Michael Ryan
• Website of ChurchSecurity.info
• Arrested Prelate Tells Magistrates of Secret Accounts in the Vatican