Cardinal Slated to Plan a Summit on Abuse has been Accused of Ignoring Abuse Himself
A respected and credible Catholic news source reports that "one of the organizers appointed by Pope Francis to plan a February summit at the Vatican on sexual abuse has been accused of covering up abuse in his own archdiocese in India."
Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai reportedly told a whistle blower that he “was too busy” to do an investigation into an alleged predator priest. The whistle blower also says the Cardinal delayed removing that cleric from ministry, and then refused to tell his flock why the priest was removed. The whistle blower was ostracized for her activism. This kind of response from any church official to an allegation of sexual abuse would be troubling, but is far, far worse when that church official is one of those handpicked to plan a summit on abuse prevention.
Unfortunately, many top Catholic officials have concealed or are concealing known or suspected child sex crimes. Some such prelates have been promoted by Pope Francis. And, like Cardinal Gracias, some such prelates are planning this summit, including Chicago Cardinal Blaise Cupich and Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
Under Cardinal O’Malley’s watch Boston’s archdiocesan abuse policy was revised, eliminating a provision that required the immediate removal of accused priests, and severely limiting survivors’ access to archdiocesan files about their cases. Similarly, in Spokane, then-Bishop Cupich failed to take action against at least two allegedly abusive priests who worked in diocese.
Given these failures, we think that Pope Francis should elevate other prelates instead, those who have taken on leading roles to prevent sexual abuse, not protect abusers. An example of a better choice would be Bishop Steven Biegler from the Diocese of Cheyenne, WY, who has been aggressive and consistent in his calls for investigations into bishops who have concealed sex crimes. The Pope should find more bishops like Bishop Biegler – and fewer like Cardinal Gracias – to serve at this summit.
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