Head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops accused of ignoring abuse
For immediate release, Sept. 12, 2018
Statement by Michael Norris, Volunteer Houston SNAP Leader and Member of SNAP’s Board of Directors, 713-855-9178,[email protected]
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been accused of ignoring allegations against a priest in his diocese. The clergyman, Father Manuel LaRosa-Lopez, was still assigned to a parish when he was arrested on Tuesday.
Once again, the actions of a high-ranking church official show that the Catholic Church cannot be trusted to police itself. It is particularly disheartening when the official is also the head of the Bishop’s Conference. We urge the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, to follow the example of Pennsylvania and open an investigation into all the Catholic dioceses within the state. We encourage everyone in the state of Texas who shares our concerns to write to Mr. Paxton and add your voice to ours.
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/
According to the report from the Associated Press, the Archdiocese of Houston was told by two different people that Father LaRosa-Lopez had sexually assaulted them when they were teenagers. The male victim reported his abuse last year, and met with the Cardinal last month. The family of the female victim alerted the archdiocese in 2001, and she contacted them again in 2010, when she discovered the priest was still in ministry.
We simply do not understand this callous disregard for the safety of children by Cardinal DiNardo and other Houston Church officials. In 2002 the Catholic bishops promised “zero tolerance” for abusers, yet in 2018 a priest with not one, but two, accusations against him was allowed to function as a clergyman, and was also the Cardinal’s episcopal vicar for Hispanics.
On Sunday in front of the Houston Cathedral, SNAP raised concerns about two other clergyman with accusations against them who remain in ministry, Father John Keller and Father Terry Brinkman. Both men are included on the database maintained by the Catholic watchdog group, BishopAccountability.
http://bishopaccountability.org/
Enough is enough. If the Catholic Church will not be responsible for protecting the young people entrusted to them by faithful parishioners, it is up to the government to step in and make sure that children are safe. We implore people of good will in Texas to write to AG Paxton and demand that he investigate.
If you have been abused in the Archdiocese of Houston or anywhere else, please do not suffer alone and in silence. Make a report to law enforcement, no matter how long ago the crime occurred, and reach out to groups like ours for community and support.
(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)
Contact - Michael Norris (713-855-9178, [email protected]), 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