Voice of the Faithful is going broke, with your (lack of) support

This couldn't happen to a nicer dissident group.

Jack Smith with excellent, original reporting:

Funds are drying up for VOTF and they are now in serious financial straits. The Boston Globe has picked up on it and I've updated the post to include information on SNAP and their financial irregularities.

I suspect that more than the economy, decline in receipts for VOTF is reflective of the fact that most big priest sexual abuse cases are now settled. Being able to stage a protest / press photo-op on the front steps of any chancery in the U.S. whenever a settlement is close seems to be a lot more lucrative than holding conferences on church management structure.

SNAP has also seen a major decrease in revenue from $930,985 in annual income for 2006 to $437,407 in 2007 (the last year figures are available). The group which previously concentrated exclusively on abuse by Catholic priests has now branched out with new affiliates - SNAP Native American, SNAP Baptist, SNAP Orthodox, SNAP Presbyterian and SNAP Boy Scouts.

Let me be very clear: I don't condone the hiding of predatory priests. But VOTF's tactic was to make the clergy sexual abuse scandal an opportunity for remaking the Catholic Church in their own image. True members of the Church serve it - they don't prey upon it when it has been weakened.

It's also hard to ignore the serious financial interest that trial lawyers had in VOTF's activities. More scandals and lawsuits equaled plenty of dollars for the trial lawyers, taking a huge chunk out of what was intended for the victims themselves.

Good riddance.