Another Victim of Fr. Pfleger Comes Forward Despite Demonstrations by Supporters of the Accused Priest
Two survivors have now come forward to accuse a popular Chicago priest of abuse. Time and time again, the first person to come forward encourages another victim who had been staying silent. We would not be surprised if still more survivors are suffering in silence and we hope that they will be encouraged to come forward and get help, despite demonstrations in support of the accused priest.
The case against Fr. Michael Pfleger evolved this week as a second victim came forward. A tragic detail of this story is that both survivors are brothers and that neither knew the other was abused until recently. This is a perfect illustration of how the crime of sexual assault against a child creates lifelong feelings of shame and guilt that cause victims to fear coming forward. That feeling is only amplified when the alleged abuser is powerful and popular. Our hearts break for these two men and we hope that they and their families are getting the support and professional help that they need.
We once again renew our call for those who care about Fr. Pfleger to show their support privately. Cardinal Blase Cupich should call on all parishioners to suspend judgment and to refrain from public demonstrations. The investigation into accusations of the sexual abuse of minors – whether the abuse occurred yesterday or 50 years ago – is complicated and, for the victims, rife with emotional turmoil. There are plenty of ways that supporters of Fr. Pfleger can show their support without driving still-suffering victims even further underground.
A sophisticated study of clerical abuse demonstrates that most priests who hurt children have multiple victims and only a few come forward, nearly none at the time of the abuse. Many will disparage these men for coming forward about decades-old abuse, but the fact is this is the most common scenario. The average age of a survivor coming forward in the US is 52.
Over 7,000 Catholic priests in the United States have abused children, and an investigation into the scope of the problem in Illinois revealed that ¾ of all cases ever reported to Illinois dioceses were ignored or minimized. We can only wonder if someone had come forward previously to report Fr. Pfleger and felt rebuffed or ignored. Only time will tell.
We stand in solidarity with these victims and hope that their courage will inspire others who were hurt to come forward, make a report, and get help.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]), Larry Antonsen, SNAP Chicago (773-255-3382, [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
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