Dear Archbishop Gregory,

I hope you are feeling well and that your healing progresses smoothly. We at Voice of the Faithful -- Atlanta congratulate you on your election to head the US bishops' Committee on Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Dialogue.

I must advise you, however, that we and other informed Catholic laity are again disappointed and dismayed that the bishops have elected Cardinal George of Chicago to lead the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, with Bishop Kicanas as Vice-President.

The choice of the Cardinal seems to us nothing less than a spiteful slap on the face of the thousands of victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy and of us who have labored long on survivors' behalf and who counseled against electing him.

Cardinal George's track record on protecting Catholic children from abuse, even after the Charter for the Protection of Children which he helped draft, is unsatisfactory. His recent remark that statute of limitation reform efforts on behalf of abuse survivors was all about money rather than protecting children demonstrates that Cardinal George inexplicably still does not get it! Bishop Kicanas's record is similarly unacceptable.

The election of these two bishops leads even sympathetic observers to conclude that the Dallas Charter was indeed nothing more than a public relations ploy. Will deficient church leaders never face the accountability that leaders in every other sphere of endeavor face every day?

It is our hope -- or perhaps dream -- that, in response to the will of the people of God, at least Cardinal George would step down from this lofty new office of leader of and spokesperson for the American bishops of which he is not deserving.

Again, be assured of our continuing prayers for your complete and rapid recovery.

Your brother in Christ,

John Dearie

Chair, VOTF-Atlanta