Chile – Pope admits “serious mistakes” in sex abuse crisis; survivors vindicated
Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda, Volunteer Secretary of SNAP’s Board of Directors (925-708-6175,[email protected])
Pope Francis today admitted to making “serious mistakes” in handling Chile’s sex abuse crisis. We rejoice with the Chilean survivors whose steadfast witness is vindicated by the Pope’s admission.
During a trip to South America earlier this year the pope told reporters that there was no proof that Bishop Juan Barros Madrid and three other bishops knew about Father Fernando Karadima’s sexual abuse of children. Yet Juan Carlos Cruz and other victims testified in court and wrote in letters sent to church officials that these bishops did know and covered it up. Not only did the pope ignore this evidence, he also slandered these survivors by accusing them of calumny.
While we are glad that Pope Francis has publicly acknowledged his serious mistake, it is only a small step in the right direction. From what has been uncovered through lawsuits, media stories and governmental investigations, far too many Catholic officials were complicit in covering up abuse, which resulted in grave damage to innocent lives. True progress would be for the pope to make sure that all reports of abuse within the Church, new and old, are immediately turned over to local law enforcement for investigation.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contacts - Melanie Jula Sakoda (925-708-6175), Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected])
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