SNAP responds: Pope Francis words to Chilean Bishops
For immediate release, May 18, 2018
Statement by: Judy Jones, SNAP "Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests", 636-433-2511,[email protected]
Pope Francis has responded to the brave clergy abuse victims of Chile. His harsh words to the Chilean Bishops are resonating loudly with other clergy abuse victims throughout the world.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pope-chile-bishops-abuse-scandal-1.4668537
This behavior by bishops is not only a happening in Chile. The Catholic church hierarchy in all the dioceses throughout the world follow the same ego centered and callous behavior of enabling and covering up sex crimes against children. We are not aware of one single bishop who has lost his title, lost his job or been publicly denounced for protecting and shielding predators. Even Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City who was criminally convicted of child endangerment did not lose his job.
The historic abuse and coverups by over twenty bishops is well documented by Bishop Accountability: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/bishops/accused/
While we are encouraged by the resignation of the bishops in Chile we urge vigilance. We hope that the Pope will not only accept the resignations, but he will also remove their titles and assign them to jobs without prestige. Cardinal Law left his position of power after the clergy abuse scandal exploded in Boston but was given an even more powerful and prestigious job at the Vatican.
We hope that Pope Francis accepts the resignations of the Chilean Bishops, in keeping with his word to no longer be a "part of the problem" of child sex abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church. The bishops can always find other employment. The victims of Chile's abuse can never get their innocence back.
We also hope he takes a similar strong stand anywhere else that such scandals occur, such as the upcoming Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report of six Catholic Dioceses.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website isSNAPnetwork.org )
Contact - Judy Jones, (636-433-2511, cell 314-974-5003, [email protected]), Tim Lennon
(415-312-5820, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director