Vatican - Legion of Christ Looking for a new head
For immediate release: Friday, December 16, 2013
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
Any real hope of reform in the scandal-ridden Legion of Christ seems very unlikely now. High ranking officials in this Catholic order reportedly still hold their criminal founder in high regard and are resisting substantial change, the Associated Press reports.
We are saddened but not surprised by this. For years, Legion officials hid and denied the misdeeds of Fr. Maciel and attacked the integrity of his victims. Then, Legion officials tried very hard to minimize the wrongdoing of Fr. Maciel. They’ve tried hard to pretend he’s basically the only wrongdoer in their cult-like institution. Now, they’re making token gestures towards progress only because of external pressure and they’re pretending they’re doing a major turn-around.
In our view, the Legion is an unhealthy outfit with a long and sordid history and many clerics with misguided, self-serving goals and priorities.
Fr. Sylvester Heereman is particularly disappointing. He implies that he’s more sophisticated and mature than wounded victims and betrayed Catholics because he can maintain a mixture” of feelings about his criminal supervisor while many others "cannot share those feelings."
We hope donors to the Legion will give elsewhere. We hope Pope Francis continues to push for real reform in this troubled and troubling religious group.
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