Germany - SNAP responds to German priests
German Catholic priests should care more about protecting vulnerable kids than clerical reputations.
Even if the predators are deceased, the truth of their crimes should be exposed for the healing of their victims and the entire church.
These files, however, should be in the hands of law enforcement officials, not church officials.
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Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Executive Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (+1-314-566-9790, [email protected])
* * * * *German priests' group protests bishops' handling of abuse inquiry
August 12, 2011
A conservative group of German priests has issued a public protest against the German bishops’ decision to open diocesan personnel files to researchers investigating sexual abuse.
The Network of Catholic Priests charged that the opening of confidential files is a betrayal of their interests. The group, which has previously criticized the bishops’ handling of the sex-abuse crisis, said that it was “shattered by the lack of trust in us priests and the obvious helplessness of our bishops.” A spokesman for the bishops replied that the researchers would have access only to encoded files, with the anonymity of the priests fully protected.
[The final paragraph of the Tablet report is a model of biased reporting:
The confrontation comes at a time when the bishops’ attempts to hold the German Church together on the centre ground are coming under ever greater pressure. The Pope’s ecumenical push is strongly supported by theologians and “liberal” Catholics but resisted by ultra-conservatives. Some Lutherans meanwhile want the Pope to “admit” that Catholics profited from the Reformation.
The Tablet uses “scare quotes” as an implicit means of questioning whether those on one side of the argument should be classified as “liberals,” but has no such compunctions about tagging the other side as “ultra-conservatives.” The report suggests that the major conflict within the German Catholic clergy is over “the Pope’s ecumenical push,” but ignores more divisive disputes over homosexuality, the ordination of women, and Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics.]
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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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