Media Statements
We are SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We are the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns and others).
Religious Brother Charged with Sexual Assault of Child in Wisconsin, SNAP has concerns
(For Immediate Release December 5, 2022)
A religious brother from the Madison Catholic Diocese was charged with two felonies on Monday after having sexual contact with a 17-year-old he met at a DeForest church Bible study he led. According to a criminal complaint, Rajnal "Reggie" Rehmat, 31, was charged with sexual assault of a child by a person who works with or volunteers with children and child enticement for incidents that occurred between Sept. 5 and Oct. 1 of this year. Rehmat is a religious brother from Pakistan, of the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord, an international religious community.
Our hearts go out to the young victim in this matter, and we are grateful for her courage and strength in coming forward. We are also grateful to the DeForest Police Department for investigating this alleged crime and putting the wheels of justice into motion.
We now call on church officials to disclose how Brother Rehmat came to work in the U.S. for the Diocese of Madison. A statement by the diocese indicates that Rehmat arrived this year in June to work as a Religious Brother. Furthermore, church officials have an obligation to inform the community of Rehmat’s resume. It is also incumbent upon the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord (CJD) administrators to announce the charges filed against one of their own and actively seek out possible victims from Rahmet’s other work assignments as a religious brother and while he was in vocations training. This outreach needs to be done both nationally and internationally. The order of CJD has a mission office In Modesto, CA., and internationally in Russia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Proceedings Sealed in Efforts to Block Attorney General Report in Maryland, SNAP Responds
In a setback for efforts towards transparency and justice for clergy abuse survivors in Maryland, a judge today made the decision to seal the ongoing proceedings that will decide whether or not a recently-completed attorney general report into sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will be publicly released. While we lament this decision, we hope that this does not signal the end of the road for the Maryland report and that it will still be publicly released soon.
AHEAD OF ABUSE CLAIMS DIOCESE OF SANTA ROSA TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY
(For Immediate Release December 2, 2022)
In a move that we believe is intended to prevent the public from learning the full extent of clergy abuse within its borders, the Diocese of Santa Rosa, CA has declared bankruptcy. Given the timing of this filing as well as how other dioceses around the country have subverted bankruptcy court and used it to protect secrets, not assets, it is hard to believe that the diocese is as indigent as it is claiming.
This filing comes in advance of the first clergy abuse trials resulting from a three-year extension that gave adult survivors of child sexual abuse in California until Dec. 31 to file civil suits related to their experiences. The move would freeze at least 130 new cases already added to a consolidated case list administered through the Alameda County courthouse, which includes lawsuits from the rest of Northern California that have been filed since the three-year window opened at the beginning of 2020. For a religious organization whose incessant claim is ‘truth and transparency,’ they certainly are not afraid to run for safety. It is a sad day for transparency and justice.
With more lawsuits looming and the Church’s history of choosing to suppress its files, we are not surprised by this decision. According to our records, Santa Rosa is one of California's most impacted dioceses. From 1970 to 1995, we found an average of 20 abusers assigned to the diocese each year. If each of those men had been assigned to a different parish, three out of five parishes would have been hosting abusers, placing six out of 10 children in danger of being abused.
First woman to file a civil lawsuit against the Catholic church since Maine's laws changed
(For Immediate Release December 2, 2022)
If there was ever any doubt that legislation, allowing victims of childhood sexual abuse, previously time-barred from seeking justice, would effectively expose perpetrators and the institutions that enabled them, those doubts surely continue to fade. Ann Allen, 65, of Scarborough, Maine has filed a civil complaint in Cumberland County Court claiming that the Roman Catholic Church ignored allegations of child sex abuse at the hands of one of its clergy members. Allen has become the first woman to file a civil lawsuit against the church since Maine's laws changed in 2021, removing all statutes of limitations.
We were not surprised to learn that the abuse occurred during what is supposed to be a memorable time for young Catholics, their first communion. Allen alleges that she suffered a violent assault at the hands of Fr. Lawrence Sabatino. And, once again we learn that church officials employed a known abuser and afforded him a long career to continue to violate children. Sabatino, although deceased in 1990, came to be known in an accusation dating back to 1958. Then, a Lewiston family revealed to the bishop and authorities that Sabatino had sexually abused their 6-year-old child. He was assigned to St. Peter's parish by the bishop. As of 2005 (and more later), at least 13 other women had come forward to claim that he abused them as children at that parish. He was supervised for much of his time at St. Peter's by another priest, J. Romani, who has also been accused of abuse.
We roundly applaud Ann Allen for coming forward and taking steps to lay the responsibility for the harm caused to her back where it belongs, at the feet of the accused and the Diocese responsible for monitoring its clergy. While it is never a cause for celebration to learn of a survivor's abuse, we are very happy to know that states like Maine stand with victims and not with perpetrators and institutions who enabled them.
Archdiocese of Baltimore funds legal fees for 'anonymous group' seeking to seal court proceedings
(For Immediate Release November 29, 2022)
After saying it would not oppose the release of a report detailing decades of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Maryland, the Archdiocese of Baltimore is helping to pay lawyers for an anonymous group that’s asked a city judge to keep secret arguments over whether to make the document public. A spokesperson for the archdiocese confirmed Monday to The Baltimore Sun that the church was paying, at least in part, the fees of Gregg Bernstein and William J. Murphy, two white-collar defense attorneys.
It is becoming clearer, and with no surprise to us, that Archbishop William Lori is deliberately deceptive. In a homily, shortly after Attorney General Frosh’s request to release the report, Lori said, ‘And as I said in my letter to the faithful of the archdiocese last Thursday, I pledge to continue to do everything possible to ensure that no one in the church’s care is ever again harmed by a representative of the church.’
These remarks illustrate that Lori is out of touch with reality but perfectly in line with the stance taken by other church officials on ‘truth and transparency’ followed by ‘I pledge,’ neither of which are honest remarks. We suspect that Archbishop Lori has signed the check for these legal fees.
In 2018 and 2019, Archbishop William Lori handpicked Gregg Bernstein, Esq. to a team that investigated sexual misconduct allegations made against former Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, diocese Bishop Michael Bransfield. Lori, then Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, went all the way to the United States Supreme Court in 2009 to keep sealed documents on clergy sex abuse and lost that fight.
Restorative Justice Proposals as a result of Two-Year Study at University of Notre Dame; SNAP Responds
(For Immediate Release November 28, 2022)
A group composed of scholars, psychologists, clergy, restorative justice experts, and survivors of the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal has apparently developed a set of proposals that encourage the use of restorative justice as a means to help heal victims and the broader Church. SNAP believes that the proposals will no doubt please the hierarchy because they do nothing to address the bishops' continuing penchant for secrecy or the other systemic problems that fueled the scandal. The survivors' group insists that complete truth and transparency must come before "restorative justice" can ever be considered.
According to the announcement, the proposals are the result of a two-year study supported by an initiative created by the University of Notre Dame’s Office of the President as part of the Notre Dame Forum. The proposals have been forwarded for consideration to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Notre Dame political science professor Daniel Philpott, who participated in the study, noted that survivors had specific needs for “healing and wholeness.” For a research university that prides itself on being a "force for good in the world," these proposals demonstrated to us how divorced scholars are from the reality and long-term effects of clergy sexual abuse. Apologies, prayer and penance, and a healing garden are emotional appeals. They are not directed at the actual needs of survivors; they are a salve for the churchgoers who continue to fund what to us is nothing less than a criminal organization.
We have seen dioceses throughout the world hold special masses of "reparation." In 2014, then Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput held a healing mass for victims of abuse where knitted potholders were handed out as gifts to attendees, while survivors and advocates stood outside the Cathedral in protest. In 2019, Archbishop Blair of Hartford, Connecticut laid himself prostrate on the altar to symbolize repentance. How did that help those who can no longer stand the smell of a candle?
Unnamed Group Seeking To Seal Court Proceedings in Maryland Report on Abusive Clergy
(For Immediate Release November 23, 2022)
A group named in a report detailing sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests is asking a Baltimore judge to seal all court proceedings in the Maryland attorney general’s efforts to make the report public. The group, whose name and number are unknown, made the request last Thursday, according to a court filing. In the filing, attorneys for the group said that although the people are named in the attorney general’s report, they are not accused of sexual abuse.
The anonymous group is represented by attorneys Gregg Bernstein and William J. Murphy of the Zuckerman Spaeder law firm, who will only identify their clients in a private hearing. In 2018 and 2019, Archbishop William Lori appointed Gregg Bernstein, Esq. to a team that investigated sexual misconduct allegations made against former Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, diocese Bishop Michael Bransfield. Lori, then Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, went all the way to the United States Supreme Court in 2009 to keep sealed documents on clergy sex abuse and lost that fight.
It's not shocking to us at all to learn that an ‘anonymous group’ then, is attempting to prevent the release of a report detailing sexual abuse by the clergy in Maryland. For decades, the Roman Catholic Church has gone to great lengths to completely disregard, conceal, and minimize rampant sexual abuse and rape of children worldwide. When it comes to clergy sexual abuse, the Catholic Church's playbook has been to fight, deny, and delay.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia Priest Abruptly Removed; SNAP has concerns
(For Immediate Release November 21, 2022)
Fr. Lawrence Kozak, a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was removed from his position as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, last week. Parishioners were notified of this development this past weekend in a bulletin announcement written by Deacon Timothy Murphy, who works for the church.
Providing pertinent information about the reasons behind the removal, Bishop John McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, also spoke to parishioners during the weekend Sunday services. Bishop McIntyre stated that Fr. Kozak was placed on administrative leave by Archbishop Nelson Pérez, and that this action was taken due to serious concerns about the priest's suitability for ministry because of his mismanagement of parish finances. Bishop McIntyre told parishioners that thousands of charges by Fr. Kozak on the church's credit card were for online gaming, online gambling, video streaming services, and other personal expenses. The priest was the only authorized user of this card. These purchases were a violation of Archdiocesan financial procedures and have been reported to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office for investigation.
This situation reminds SNAP of a similar case from a neighboring parish. In September of 2021, Msgr. Joseph McLoone pleaded guilty to improperly taking $30,892.50 from his church’s All Souls’ Day contributions, priestly stipends, and a secret parish account to which only he had access. Part of the money he stole was used to send money to adult men with whom he was involved in "consensual relationships," albeit sexual.
We believe that the unsuspecting parishioners of St. Thomas More deserve to know exactly how much money was stolen from them, exactly where those monies went, and exactly what their priest was doing while he worked at their church. We hope that the faithful will pressure the Archdiocese to provide them with a complete and transparent report at the conclusion of both inquiries, the one by law enforcement and the one by the Church. Furthermore, we believe that Catholic officials should provide more information on what video streaming services and personal expenses were involved. As in the case of Msgr. McLoone, those unauthorized expenses may indicate a personnel problem that goes beyond the misappropriation of parish funds.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, Philadelphia (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]), 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 more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is www.snapnetwork.org)
Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard of Albany Requests to be Removed from Clergy Status; SNAP Responds
(For Immediate Release)
We at SNAP see it quite differently. Clearly, Hubbard thinks very highly of himself. It takes gall and probably the diagnosis of a personality disorder for him to ask to be defrocked, and on the other hand, claims his innocence. He is a dangerous man who holds many, many secrets. For 37 years, he exercised complete, unaccountable, and unmonitored power over a diocese. A sort of religious dictator, as all bishops are.
We see this ‘request to be removed from the status of clergy’ gambit as just another way to hide secrets and deceive the public. He was a visible prelate in the Catholic Church in the United States and around the world. Whether he is defrocked or not, he should be monitored in the same way that defrocked ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is. It's not lost on us that McCarrick denies any wrongdoing, even though he's been accused by several credible victims.
There are numerous reports of "retired" priests abusing children. Hernan Toro of San Jose destroyed the lives of two young girls when he was 85 years old, roughly the same age as Bishop Hubbard. When Hubbard says he is "fully retired from ministry," no one should be complacent. He is facing seven allegations, and those are almost certainly only a small segment of the children he abused. Based on the claims that have already been made public, he has a voracious sexual appetite that he has hidden behind the masks of being "progressive" and a "street priest." The "Boy Bishop" is a child abuser.
It is astonishing to us the depth of selfishness cowards run to when their back is in the corner. We don’t believe for one second that Hubbard prays for longevity. We also cannot help but think of the countless number of victims who’d like relief or to retire and have closure from their lifetime of pain and suffering. Sadly, those who have endured the most harm will never be able to resign from that weight. In our opinion, cowards run from the truth, survivors own it. We thank the men who have come forward to expose this powerful, secretive, and dangerous man. Bishop Hubbard is still alive, and those revelations, by the courageous, have made Albany's Catholic community feel a little more secure.
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)
Diocese of Harrisburg will establish a Survivor Compensation Trust
(For Immediate Release November 18, 2022)
The Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has filed a settlement plan today in a bankruptcy case involving at least 55 people who accused priests of sexual abuse. This would bring the total trust amount to $18.25 million. We hope that this process has brought healing to these survivors and call on church officials from Harrisburg to release information to their parishioners and the public regarding abusers and enablers identified throughout the bankruptcy process.
We are grateful to the survivors of sexual abuse from the Diocese of Harrisburg and the Tort Committee who stood up for survivors' rights and for all victims. It is important to note that, while the settlement is justly deserved by those who have suffered decades in silence, in the grand scheme of things it is but a drop in the bucket given the wealth of the church. No amount of money can make up for the lifetime of trauma that results from sexual abuse. Furthermore, we know these tactics are designed to maintain an appearance of help for survivors, and yet it still comes without effective action from church officials.
If church officials in Harrisburg truly want to help survivors and create safer environments within their diocese, they must be transparent with their communities. They should immediately update their list of abusers to include the new names identified throughout the bankruptcy process and should then use every resource at their disposal to ensure parishioners and parents at each location where an abuser worked have been notified. Similarly, they should be turning over all information regarding sex crimes, regardless of the status of the abuser, to local law enforcement.
We know that no institution can police itself and so we hope that police and prosecutors in Pennsylvania are looking long and hard to find creative pathways toward justice for survivors and to prevent more cases of abuse in the future. A critical step in preventing abuse is ensuring that those who covered up and enabled abuse are prosecuted.
CONTACT: Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386 [email protected]) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected] 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP 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)