Bishops praise themselves on child sex abuse again, SNAP responds
Since it was adopted a decade ago, the bishops’ extremely vague abuse policy has been consistently weakened and sporadically followed. So these alleged “audits” are nearly meaningless.
It’s ironic that bishops pat themselves on the back now when for the first time ever, two top Catholic officials (in Philadelphia and Kansas City) face criminal charges for ignoring, concealing and enabling heinous child sex crimes. Those horrific cases prove that, when it comes to kids’ safety, little in church hierarchy has changed.
And it’s ironic that this news release
-- is sent on the eve of a California trial involving a predator priest who was only removed from his post after a jury found him guilty of molesting a child (Fr. Michael Kelly of Stockton),
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120410/A_NEWS/204100325
And
--quotes a prelate (Cardinal Tim Dolan) who, just last year on his blog, insensitively questioned a teenager who promptly reported being molested by her priest
http://blog.archny.org/?p=1556
It’s disingenuous for bishops to harp on how “old” many child sex abuse allegations are. History, psychology and common sense tell us most victims can’t disclose their suffering for decades. So there always has been and likely always will be a long ‘lag time’ between the crimes and the reports of those crimes. That’s no reason for anyone to get complacent.
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/upload/2011-annual-report.pdf
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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