American bishops to vote on domestic violence document

The US bishops have announced that they will vote on a revised document on domestic violence at their annual November meeting in Washington. The original document: When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women, was passed in 1992, and has sold more than 240,000 copies in English and Spanish. The revised statement incorporates new statistics, resources, and information about domestic violence, but the essential message remains the same: Violence against women is never justified. When I Call for Help addresses abused women, their abusers, and pastors and pastoral staff. The statement describes the nature of domestic violence, why men batter, and why women remain in abusive situations. It explains how abusers sometimes use Scripture to support their behaviour and offers practical suggestions on how to help abused women. The document is the work of the bishops' Committee on Women in Society and in the Church and the Committee on Marriage and Family. The November meeting takes place from November 11 - 14. source: US Bishops Conference