In a Backslide for the Vatican, Pope Francis Refuses to Punish a French Cardinal Convicted of Failing to Report Abuse
Despite calling for an “all-out battle” on clergy sexual abuse less than a month ago, Pope Francis today declined to punish a French cardinal who was tried and convicted for failing to report allegations of clerical sexual abuse to police.
This story is a perfect example of why we believe that accountability within the Church hierarchy will only ever be possible when it is imposed by independent, secular officials in law enforcement and government. What more egregious crime could a prelate commit than hiding and perhaps enabling more child sex crimes?
It is clear that French citizens believed that Cardinal Barbarin deserved punishment when they convicted him of a crime, yet apparently Pope Francis did not view this conviction as grounds for dismissal. We are deeply saddened that it took the Pope fewer than four weeks to abandon his tough rhetoric on clergy abuse and to revert to the church’s established pattern of minimization, obfuscation, and inaction.
Pope Francis has left it up to Cardinal Barbarin to do what is best for the Archdiocese of Lyon. For the protection of children and the prevention of abuse, we hope Cardinal Barbarin will self-impose the punishment he should have gotten from Pope Francis and step down from his position of power.
CONTACT: 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