Lay dissident group remains banned from Boston Archdiocese

Boston, Mass., Nov 20, 2003 / 22:00 pm

Despite a "positive" first meeting with Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley, new Voice of the Faithful chapters are still banned from archdiocesan parishes, a spokesperson from the Archdiocese of Denver said.

Jim Post, leader of the Catholic lay reform group, met O'Malley and other Church officials Nov. 19 to discuss the ban.

Newly formed Voice of the Faithful chapters have been barred from church property since October 2002 after a decision by O'Malley's predecessor, Bernard Cardinal Law.

O'Malley did not comment on the meeting. However, archdiocesan spokesman Fr. Christopher Coyne, described the discussions as “issues within the family that need to be resolved.”

“Everybody kept talking about moving forward, moving toward healing,” he said.

Post confirmed that O'Malley will release an audit of the archdiocese's compliance with child safety guidelines, most likely in January.