Archdiocese of Santa Fe Protects Itself at the Expense of Survivors with Bankruptcy Move
As the AP points out, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees and lawyers so their cry of poverty rings hollow. This is only exacerbated by the fact that much of those fees were racked up fighting against survivors in civil court, so it’s hard to see how the move to file for bankruptcy puts survivors first, as Archbishop John Wester has claimed.
Actions speak louder than words, and given the way that bankruptcies have been handled by other dioceses, we expect the Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s actions to mirror those seen in places like Milwaukee, where then-Bishop Dolan transferred more than $50 million to a cemetery fund in order to keep the assets hidden, or in St. Paul – Minneapolis, where church officials fought to use absurdly low valuations on church property.
Another reason that bankruptcy court can prove to be a good move for the church but bad for survivors is that settlements provided through bankruptcy court typically allow church officials to keep disclosures of abuse in house. Without having to report these allegations to the police or otherwise making them public, a full accounting of the number of abusers and who may have concealed or ignored those crimes would stay hidden.
Despite public rhetoric to the contrary, it is hard to see how these moves are designed to do anything but safeguard church secrets and assets and minimize further knowledge of the clergy sex abuse scandal in New Mexico. We hope Catholics, citizens and judges take ever more skeptical views of Catholic bankruptcy claims and we hope that survivors continue to fight for their day in civil court, not bankruptcy court.
CONTACT: Tim Lennon, SNAP President ([email protected], 415-312-5820) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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