Media Statements

(For Immediate Release January 18, 2023) 

Todd Philip Napolitano was arrested on January 13, 2023, on charges he disseminated sexually explicit photos and film of child sex acts, child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility.  Napolitano started teaching middle schoolers at St. Charles Borromeo School, a private Catholic school in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, roughly five months ago.

Child pornography is illegal to view, own, share, or produce, and for good reason. The boys and girls in the pictures are victims of sexual abuse and likely do not know it yet. These poor, helpless children will endure anguish and misery for the rest of their lives. Additionally, it is not unusual for people who own child porn to abuse sexually.

We urge Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia to take aggressive steps and reach out directly to the parents/guardians of students at St Charles. Also, it is incumbent upon Church officials to publicly share the work history of Napolitano. It is highly unlikely that this horrific crime was the first time for this defendant, and we are concerned that Napolitano has worked in other local schools in the tri-state area.

No matter what the courts or Catholic officials do or do not do, we implore everyone who witnessed, suspected, or suffered from child sex crimes and cover-ups in Catholic churches or institutions to protect children by calling the police, expose predators by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and receive help by contacting therapists and support groups like us. In this way, children will be safer, people will recover, criminals will face justice, cover-ups will be discouraged, and the truth will come to light.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected] 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386 [email protected])

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

For immediate release January 13, 2023

The surprise death of George Pell came as good news to many survivors of clerical abuse in Australia. SNAP or its network members do not celebrate the death of anyone, even of a man despised and mistrusted by thousands of survivors and supporters in Australia and beyond.

Donald McLeish of SNAP Australia, says “George Pell had become a target and focus for survivors, and seen as the embodiment of the church’s attitude to those sexually abused by clerics, religious brothers and sisters, and lay employees of the Catholic Church in Australia.” The ‘modus operandi’ used worldwide, was to immediately dispel the situation, minimise the damage, and move the perpetrator on to other places where abuse continued almost unabated until recent times.

George Pell was recognised by the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, as a witness whose testimony at the very least, left much to be desired. Pell, rather than being instrumental in change as a church senior leader supporting survivors and victims of sexual abuse, adopted even refined, the long-standing Church practice of secrecy, and protecting the institution, seemingly at all costs. Caring for the abused was only to a degree that did not ‘upset the applecart’ or bring discredit to the Church. The hierarchy attitude held more sway than responding to the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being and hurt caused by the sexual abuse.

In the words of one such survivor, “Pell was a sanctimonious, lying sociopath who exhibited no remorse, compassion, empathy, decency, or integrity when questioned about the abuse which happened under his leadership”. Another said, “Bloody relieved, Pell is dead”. This was uttered by a man continuing to deal with the abuse suffered many years ago. Then a gentler comment, “Let’s not condone wrongdoing by honouring those who enabled or concealed wrongdoing”, obviously referring to Pell’s time in Ballarat, and as an Assistant Bishop in Melbourne. An interesting note here is, the Victorian Government (Pell’s home state) will not hold a formal memorial to Pell, the rationale provided is the possible triggering and hurt it may cause.

It was at this stage George Pell showed his ‘colours’ by not dealing with the paedophile priest Father Searson at the Doveton Parish, directly under his authority. This abuse involved among others, a particular young student at the Parish school Julie Stewart, and her whistle-blowing school principal Graeme Sleeman, whose pleas to the Church were not heard for a further twelve years. Graeme Sleeman’s experience with George Pell and the Church was a crushing blow to him and his family. He never worked in Catholic education again and to date remains frustratingly legally entangled with the Catholic Church. Pell was aware of this, did nothing, and Searson continued abusing for another seven years before his removal. This action followed a parishioners delegation meeting with Pell tragically, five years after the abuse of Julie Stewart.

The Royal Commissioners were scathing of Pell for this inaction, and SNAP members will not forget this mammoth oversight and further enabling of abuse to innocent children.

At that time Pell’s battle with the Foster family formed a significant part of the clerical abuse history in Australia. Emma and Katie Foster, were both abused by Fr. Kevin O’Donnell, a prolific child abuser over the course of 50 years. Some of his crimes including rape were committed during Pell’s tenure as Assistant Bishop. Emma Foster tragically took her life, as numerous victims have done, while Katie lives with the ongoing effects of a car accident resulting from the misuse of alcohol and trauma caused by O’Donnell.

The Royal Commission described the Ballarat abuse situation as a “Catastrophic institutional failure.” It was much more than that, and those victims who have died, many by their own hand, convincingly demonstrate that fact. The survivors who live day to day struggling with flashbacks, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, addictions, and the list goes on, can verify and confirm the tragedy of the carnage of human dignity and life. All caused by a systemic failure to place human life over the credibility of the institutional Church.

This is the legacy George Pell leaves, and there will be no tears shed by SNAP survivors on his passing. He was one man, there are others, and the fight for justice, compensation, and recognition continues. To echo a comment made in an article by the author of ‘Cardinal’ a book on Pell, by journalist Louise Milligan, we share the summing up of George Pell as she quotes a line from a character in Charles Dickins’s David Copperfield. “Ride on! Rough-shod, if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! Ride over all obstacles and win the race.”

Is the race over? SNAP members disagree.

ENDS

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

International Website: https://www.snapnetwork.org

National Website: https://www.snapnetwork.org/australia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/snapaustralia

SNAP contact in Australia: Donald McLeish, 0411 565 691.

For immediate release: January 9, 2022

A long-awaited report into Catholic clergy sexual abuse in Kansas has been released, and once again an independent, secular authority has reaffirmed the reality of the situation when it comes to institutional sexual abuse: the church playbook has always been to minimize, obfuscate, and silence.

In this case, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation spoke to 137 victims and combed through 225 reports and more than 40,000 pages of documents to create this final report. Despite the work that went into this report, we expect more to be revealed in the future as, due to delayed disclosure, it is likely that victims from the 1990s and 2000s have yet to come forward.

While it is important and valuable to learn about the investigation, it is disappointing that, of the 30 cases forward to prosecutors, none have been able to move forward. The reality of statutes of limitations and the passing of time has made these cases nearly impossible to prosecute, but we hope that the victims who came forward for this investigation feel helped and healed. We honor their courage and bravery in coming forward.

Ultimately, it is both disappointing and validating to read that the church in Kansas did exactly what the Church did in Boston, Pennsylvania, Munich, Australia, and so many other places. First, church officials acted to protect the accused priest, minimizing their crimes of rape and assault as mere “boundary violations” or “inappropriate conduct.” Then, when they moved the priest to a new area where they could escape the allegations, they lied to parishioners about the reasoning, describing the moves as procedural or due to retirements. Finally, victims were treated with disregard, subjected to biased and inefficient investigations, and forced into silence through the use of non-disclosure agreements and fear of retribution. Our hearts break for the victims and their families throughout Kansas who were subjected to this kind of treatment.

Michael McDonnell, a spokesperson for the international Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said that while the numbers of alleged abuses before 1990 are not surprising, the numbers after that are “still questionable” because many victims likely have not come forward. McDonnell said it’s “the Catholic Church playbook” to run out the clock on potential criminal charges and then be cooperative. “What we want to know is who was complicit?” McDonnell said, adding that abusers were allowed “to continue their careers in transfer upon transfer upon transfer only to go on to abuse more children?”

This report is yet another signal flare that legislative change is needed to support survivors and protect children. A glaring absence is that of the alleged abusers’ names. In a comment to KCTV-5 “The Archdiocese has openly collaborated with the KBI from the moment we initiated an extensive and thorough review of our internal files by an independent, outside law firm,” said Vicar General Father John Riley. “We shared the full results of our independent review with the KBI and have continued to provide additional information throughout the investigation.”

We demand the names of alleged abusers in this report and that the Archdiocese list of credibly accused be updated immediately. We hope that legislators in Kansas will look into abolishing their civil statute of limitations and open a lookback window so that more abusers can be brought to light and to justice. Similarly, we hope they will move to make clergy and church staff mandatory reporters so that there are penalties and deterrents for not reporting abuse to authorities.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release January 4, 2023) 

For the next few days, we will continue to hear and read wonderful adjectives and eulogies about the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Many admirers have praised his handling of the clergy sex abuse epidemic, but we see things differently. On this traumatic issue, Pope Benedict XVI leaves a legacy of failure.

Hailing Pope Benedict as a reformer on clergy sex abuse is flat-out wrong. While many in the flock mourn his loss, they also anesthetize themselves more to the dark reality of sexual abuse by the clergy in both past and present cases.

As both Cardinal Ratzinger and later Pope, Benedict squandered opportunities to make a difference for victims and instead solidified the protection of abusers. Prior to becoming Pope, he was a prominent player on the Vatican stage for a quarter of a century, having led the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the Roman Curia's most important dicastery, and later working as the Dean of the College of Cardinals from 2002 until his election as Pope.

As Pope, Benedict promoted a roster of men who protected the Church at the expense of children. From Cardinal Jean Pierre Bernard Ricard, who recently admitted abusing a 14 year old girl in the 1990s, to men like Cardinal Timothy Dolan – who kept priests like Msgr. John Paddock, accused at least 12 times of abuse, in positions of power over children – and Cardinal Donald Wuerl – who repeatedly shuffled and protected abusive priests while leading the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

In our view, when the now defrocked ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's disclosure of abuse put another black eye on Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, we can not help but think of how much Benedict, then Cardinal Ratzinger knew, yet did nothing while heading up the CDF. We are reminded of the stance he took when he became the supreme pontiff in 2005, around the time when more information about McCarrick surfaced. To McCarrick’s benefit, Benedict ultimately decided against a canonical trial or sanction, in part because the Vatican’s in-house legal code did not provide ways to prosecute old cases of priests who slept with young men. “Instead, the decision was made to appeal to McCarrick’s conscience and ecclesial spirit by indicating to him that he should maintain a lower profile and minimize travel for the good of the church.”

As Pope, Benedict reopened an investigation into Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionaries of Christ, an influential religious order and John Paul II's mentee, and subsequently removed him from ministry. However, it is hard for us to imagine why he did not act while overseeing the CDF instead of waiting until he became the supreme pontiff.

When forced, the Church hierarchy occasionally suspends proven, admitted, and "credibly accused" child and adult predators. However, only in a few cases has the hierarchy ever disciplined a corrupt bishop. It is even more disturbing when the hierarchy honors one of its own with a dismal track record on the Church's most devastating scandal in modern times. Frontline trauma professionals have a duty to do their very best for those with emergent needs. That should be the case for Catholic officials as well, especially in an institution with a horrifying history of committing, ignoring, and concealing heinous child sex crimes. 

Church officials can do little to alleviate the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of deeply wounded men, women, and children who have been sexually abused by clergy. But the Catholic hierarchy CAN avoid rubbing salt into their wounds by heralding a pontiff who presided over many, well-documented clergy sex crimes and cover-ups.

In his more than 25 years as the world's most influential religious figure, Pope Benedict XVI fell short in protecting children and adults around the world. He used his unparalleled knowledge of Church doctrine and theology on other critical issues repeatedly and effectively. Still, he virtually ignored the burning problem of clergy sexual abuse during his tenure in office.

As we see it, Pope Benedict XVI did not resign because of his job performance, he abandoned the Church and his flock when certain truths could no longer be hidden. Throughout his long career, the same pattern of abuse, institutional knowledge, and cover-up are visible. Benedict’s multiple apologies are faint at best, especially to a population of victims who could care less about an institution that allowed the truth to be hidden. The Catholic Church essentially condones wrongdoing by honoring those who enable or conceal wrongdoing.

CONTACT:  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release December 31, 2022) 

In our view, the death of Pope Benedict XVI is a reminder that, much like John Paul II, Benedict was more concerned about the church’s deteriorating image and financial flow to the hierarchy versus grasping the concept of true apologies followed by true amends to victims of abuse. The rot of clergy sexual abuse of children and adults, even their own professed religious, runs throughout the Catholic church, to every country, and we now have incontrovertible evidence, all the way to the top.

Any celebration that marks the life of abuse enablers like Benedict must end. It is past time for the Vatican to refocus on change: tell the truth about known abusive clergy, protect children and adults, and allow justice to those who have been hurt. Honoring Pope Benedict XVI now is not only wrong. It is shameful.

It is almost a year after a report into decades of abuse allegations by a law firm in Germany has shown that Pope Benedict XVI did not take action against abusive priests in four child abuse cases while he was Archbishop (Josef Ratzinger). In our view, Pope Benedict XVI is taking decades of the church’s darkest secrets to his grave with him. 

The past few days of ‘death watch’ has been filled with prayerful wishes and special masses to remember the emeritus pontiff. We heard no mention of empathy or sympathy for victim-survivors of sexual abuse during these special intentions. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Benedict's legacy as pope was already tainted by the global deluge of the sex abuse scandal in 2010, even though as a cardinal, he was responsible for changing the Vatican's stance on the issue. To us, Benedict XVI, the church’s successor to St. Peter, fell off the rock and was implicated in the most notorious scandal in the history of the church. Maybe a lesson learned from this is obvious – if someone is alleged to have abused children or adults, turn them over to secular authorities instead of protecting the church’s image.

CONTACT:  Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) 

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release December 28, 2022) 

It is certain that many people will have mixed feelings about the life of Pope Benedict XVI. The expected passing of Benedict is a painful reminder that we're still dealing with the aftereffects of his tenure in Germany as Archbishop. We also can’t forget the twenty years he spent as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under John Paul II before becoming Pope. Sadly, many clergy abuse victims are not out of the woods in terms of healing from their wounds and getting the justice they deserve.  

Survivors of child sexual abuse in Germany were among the most hurt, having been deceived first by Benedict's cover-up of sex crimes and then monumentally betrayed following his election to the papacy. There are no words to adequately express the anguish these survivors and their dear ones faced. We wish to honor the abuse survivors in Germany and everywhere for continuing to speak truth to power against such great odds and in the face of such powerful denial. Despite Benedict’s lack of candor, their truths cannot be denied. 

In our view, Pope Benedict XVI, much like John Paul II, was more concerned about the church’s deteriorating image and financial flow to the hierarchy versus grasping the concept of genuine apologies followed by true amends to victims of abuse. The rot of clergy sexual abuse of children and adults, including their own nuns and seminarians, runs throughout the Catholic church, to every country, and we now have incontrovertible evidence, all the way to the top.

Any celebration that marks the life of abuse enablers like Pope Benedict must end. It is time for the Vatican to refocus on change: tell the truth about known abusive clergy, protect children and adults, and allow justice to those who have been hurt. 

CONTACT:  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release December 22, 2022) 

Two more alleged victims of clergy abuse have stepped forward, filing a complaint this week against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland for claims of sexual abuse occurring in Bangor in the 1950s and 1960s. 

According to the filing, the first plaintiff alleges that when they were nine years old, they were sexually abused by Msgr. Edward F. Ward of Saint Mary's in Bangor (Msgr. Ward is now deceased).  The plaintiff was described as a churchgoer who worked as an altar server. The second plaintiff claims that when they were seven years old, they were sexually assaulted by now-deceased Sister Mary Geraldine Walsh, who worked at St. John Parochial School in Bangor, which is now recognized as All Saints Catholic School.

We loudly applaud the two brave survivors who have stepped forward seeking justice and accountability after many years of harboring their pain. In solidarity, we stand with these survivors who are still dealing with the injuries inflicted on them and have important truths to share. Their stories will not only help uncover the still-hidden secrets of the Diocese of Portland but will also benefit society by helping it to design more protections for today's children.

These suits represent transparency and honesty being foisted upon an institution that has steadfastly refused to be clear with the public and parishioners about the extent of abuse within their diocese. Today, the Diocese of Maine is one of the few remaining dioceses in the nation to refuse to release a list of credibly accused priests. Unfortunately for church officials in Maine, survivors hold the truth, and dioceses have it documented. We believe this case will help make it far more difficult for church officials to pretend that their abuse scandal is no longer a problem.

More than anything, we hope these filings give other survivors the courage to come forward and report crimes, regardless of how long ago they may have occurred. We also hope that any individuals who witnessed or suspected sexual abuse will also report directly to law enforcement.

In a statement from the Portland Diocese, Bishop Robert Deeley said the following: 

"Diocesan and parish leaders, clergy, employees, and volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure the Church in Maine is a safe environment ... We can gratefully say that our diocese's procedures have created a safer Church here."

As is common with Roman Catholic church officials, platitudes are offered, and specifics are shied from. If Bishop Dooley really cared about creating safer environments for children in Maine, he would release a list and inform parents throughout the state of when abusers were housed in schools, camps, or other institutions that serve children. We doubt he will do this; offering hollow words is, after all, far easier than taking meaningful steps to support survivors and protect communities and children in Maine.

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, Communication Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]  Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release December 20, 2022) 

Fairfield University recently announced the leadership team for Fairfield Bellarmine. The announcement revealed that Fr. Kevin O’Brien will be working as the vice-provost and executive director of the school, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2023 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. SNAP has deep concerns over Fairfield tapping Fr. O'Brien for this position.

In May 2021, the Jesuit priest resigned from his position at Santa Clara University after being removed by the USA West Province on March 18, 2021. An investigation found that Fr. O’Brien "engaged in behaviors, consisting primarily of conversations, during a series of informal dinners with Jesuit graduate students that were inconsistent with established Jesuit protocols and boundaries."

We wonder about the wisdom of the decision to place Fr. O'Brien at a school for "underserved students" when he was unable to maintain appropriate boundaries at Santa Clara. The complaints at Santa Clara were apparently serious enough to result in his "resignation" from the prestigious Catholic university. And yet, despite those accusations, he was given a new job three thousand miles away and again with authority over young and vulnerable adults.

Our unease is especially heightened when we consider a 2019 settlement that involved Fairfield University, Douglas Perlitz, a Fairfield graduate, and Fr. Paul E. Carrier, a chaplain at Fairfield. The original lawsuit accused Perlitz and Fr. Carrier of sexual abuse at a school for homeless boys in Haiti founded and operated by Perlitz with the help of several Catholic organizations, including Fairfield University. We cannot help but worry that the University is again making a mistake that will come back to haunt them in the case of Fr. O'Brien.

We urge the University to explain why they appointed Fr. O'Brien to the leadership team in light of the accusations made in California. Were they unaware of the scandal at Santa Clara University? If Fairfield was aware of the complaints, we wonder what plans are in place to ensure that nothing similar occurs at Fairfield Bellarmine?

Fairfield University owes the community and the public an explanation for its decision. Last year Pope Francis declared that the sexual abuse of adults is a crime in the Catholic Church, so serious attention needs to be paid even to accusations of "boundary violations" with adults. We are reminded of the case of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, where accusations of his inappropriate behavior with adults were ignored for years and erupted into the media spotlight only when it became clear that seminarians were not McCarrick's only targets.

CONTACT: Gail Howard, SNAP Leader Connecticut  (203-644-0387 [email protected])  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release December 20, 2022) 

The Catholic Church in Maryland claims they will support proposed legislation that will prospectively eliminate the statute of limitation in civil lawsuits involving cases of child sexual abuse. Similar legislation was recently signed into law at the federal level. That bipartisan federal legislation also allows individuals an unlimited amount of time to file civil litigation in future cases of child sexual abuse.

In reality, the real headline here is much different. The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC), the public affairs arm of bishops and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is opposing any language in a bill that would allow victims of childhood sexual abuse, who have been arbitrarily time-barred from justice, their day in court.  

In our view, the statement by the MCC which points out a recently enacted federal law, Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022, aims to convince the public that victims who suffered horrific sexual abuse in the past can seek redress under this law. This statement is false. While the federal law removes the statute of limitations for a minor victim of human trafficking or federal sex offense, it does nothing for the hundreds of brave victims who have come forward during the Maryland Attorney General's investigation into historical clergy abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Furthermore, it does nothing for hundreds, if not thousands, of other victims who still sit in silence.

Victims in Maryland deserve justice, and in order to get it, there must be state-level reform. As victim stories are told and heard throughout the state, lawmakers must work tirelessly to bring justice to those who have been silenced for far too long. No boy or girl should be exposed to known abusers and we know that children and communities are safer when SOL laws are amended or abolished, and institutions that have hidden or recycled known perpetrators have a strong incentive to change their behavior. Sexual predators should be held to account, as well as any institution or organization that harbors, obscures, or provides protection to them. Legislative change in Maryland will help to ensure children in Maryland will be more protected than they are today.

States like New York, New Jersey, and California have uncovered hundreds of catholic clergy members accused of sexual offenses by opening window legislation to victims of past abuse. This legislation has helped our organization expose names that dioceses have not placed on their credibly accused clergy list as required. Parents, parishioners, and communities in Maryland deserve this same level of truth and transparency.

 CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications ([email protected], 267-261-0578) David Lorenz, SNAP Maryland leader ([email protected], 301-906-9161), Becky Ianni, Virginia and DC SNAP leader ([email protected], (703) 801-6044)  Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release December 15, 2022) 

The head of Pope Francis’ Jesuit religious order admitted Wednesday that a famous Jesuit priest had been convicted of one of the most serious crimes in the Catholic Church some two years before the Vatican decided to shelve another case against him where he was accused of abusing adult women under his spiritual care.

The Rev. Arturo Sosa, the Jesuit superior general, made the admission during a briefing with journalists that was dominated by the scandal over the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, and the reluctance of both the Vatican and the Jesuits to tell the whole story behind the unusual lenient treatment he received even after he had been temporarily excommunicated for absolving a woman he had sexually abused in confession.

SNAP issued a statement last week when the news about the more recent accusations against Fr. Rupnik surfaced on Italian blogs — Silere non Possum, Left.it, and Messa in Latino. The blogs disseminated accusations of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse against Fr. Rupnik by women at a Jesuit community in his native Slovenia with which he was associated.

It is no surprise that officials in the Jesuit community are now looking for exit signs to egress from this scandalous situation. Still, the fact remains that this is a long overdue admission prompted only by pressure from courageous victims and dogged media coverage.

And yet the Jesuits appear to be willing to admit one thing in order to cover up a thousand. Withholding donations from religious orders or dioceses may or may not have an effect, and the Jesuits are extremely wealthy and unique. They run hundreds, if not thousands of parishes, private schools, retreat centers, and universities. However, contributing to organizations such as SNAP, who provides peer support to victims of abuse, and letting the group know why you are doing so, may steer the Jesuits to adopt true transparency and openness.

To prevent future media snafus, we also urge the Rev. Sosa to order all Jesuit provinces to release a complete and non-sanitized list of abusers within their order, as well as to maintain a consolidated list. The next step should be to turn over every accusation of abuse -- whether of a child or an adult, whether found to be "credible" or "not credible" -- to the local police or attorney general for an impartial secular investigation. 

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, Communication Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]  Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)