Ad identifies 'moral crisis'

NEW YORK -- Presented as "a message on the occasion of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the U.S.," the Catholic reform group Voice of the Faithful ran a full-page ad in the April 8 New York Times that called on "all Catholics to transform our church."

Benedict will visit Washington and New York April 15-20. Citing the lingering human suffering and financial cost of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the ad said the church faces a moral crisis.

The ad, which was paid for by more than 1,000 donors, according to a statement from the organization, called for Benedict and "all our bishops" to meet with victims of clergy sex abuse, "embrace full lay participation" in the church and "have full financial transparency and accountability."

"Pope Benedict should call for the resignations of those bishops who repeatedly reassigned predator priests," the ad said. A copy of the ad is at votf.org/pope/ad.html.

"We ... believe that the transformation of our beloved church is possible," said the group's president, Dan Bartley. "We ... encourage all Catholics to participate in this transformation."

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