As Catholic bishops meet in Mundelein, victims of sexual abuse in Chicago slam church leadership
As U.S.-based Roman Catholic bishops gathered in suburban Mundelein for a weeklong retreat, activists in Chicago on Wednesday stood outside the Archdiocese of Chicago’s headquarters to slam church leadership for its handling of sexual abuse investigations.
The bishops planned to focus on prayer and spiritual reflection, and they would not spend the week formulating policy amid the church’s national sexual abuse scandal, according to organizers of the retreat. Outside the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Gold Coast offices, Zach Hiner, executive director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said recent movements like #MeToo have made people realize how common sexual violence is and also compelled them to confront the issue.
“And they are angry, they’re angry,” Hiner said. “The public at large is very far ahead of the Catholic Church on this issue, and if the Catholic Church does want to catch up, does want to ensure that this never happens again, they need to start talking to some of those survivors now.”
The bishop’s retreat, at Mundelein Seminary, began a day after The Associated Press reported that the Vatican blocked U.S. bishops from taking measures last year to address the scandal because U.S. church leaders didn't discuss the legally problematic proposals with the Holy See enough beforehand.
The rebuke from Rome was contained in a letter from a Vatican official before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in November. The move stunned abuse survivors and some other Catholics demanding action.
The retreat is a prelude to a summit of the world's bishops at the Vatican next month to forge a comprehensive response to the crisis that has lashed the church.
The meetings follow two blistering reports during 2018 from state attorneys general — in Illinois and Pennsylvania — alleging negligence by state church leaders.
Here's a look at the retreat.
What’s on the agenda?
According to Archdiocese of Chicago spokeswoman Anne Maselli, bishops at the gathering would be pra...
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
Showing 1 comment
I provide free clinical consultation to survivors in my area; and i have divorced the Church. It is my clinical view that the Church is much more interested in avoiding further legal liability. All the prayer and spiritual reflection will no longer protect the guilty.
Rich, MSW