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).
Archdiocese of Boston Priest Indicted on Charges of Rape of a Minor
(For Immediate Release November 8, 2022)
Monsignor Francis Strahan, 89, was indicted on one count of Rape of a Child by Force and three counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 in a joint statement issued Tuesday morning by District Attorney Marian Ryan and Framingham Chief of Police Lester Baker. The charges stemmed from an alleged sexual assault of a male student at Saint Bridget's School in Framingham on two separate occasions, according to their statement. DA Ryan stated that the victim was between the ages of 11 and 13 at the time and was an altar server while Strahan was the Pastor of Saint Bridget's Parish from 2004 to 2008.
The case against Strahan would no doubt never have been investigated if it were not for the brave victim who spoke to law enforcement. We applaud the victim’s courage and tenacity in using their voice to draw attention to a dangerous situation. Were it not for them, we worry that this abuser would have escaped justice.
Now that Strahan has been formally indicted, we urge Cardinal O'Malley to go above and beyond in reaching out to anyone who may have suffered, witnessed, or suspected abuse at the hands of the priest. The diocesan website, parish bulletins, and pulpit announcements should all be employed by church officials. The Cardinal should also go to every parish where Msgr. Strahan worked hard to inform parents and parishioners, and to encourage victims to come forward and seek help.
By our count, Strahan joins an average of two Catholic priests or staffers arrested each month this year on charges involving the abuse or exploitation of a minor. Clearly, sexual abuse is not a thing of the past, as Church officials frequently claim. If this scandal is ever resolved, it will be due to secular intervention combined with active parishioners speaking up about wrongdoing and standing up to institutional indifference. We hope that this story will resonate with parishioners across the country, inspiring them to be vigilant and vocal.
Above all, we hope that a conviction, in this case, will give future survivors the confidence to come forward and denounce crimes, no matter how distant in the past they may have occurred. We also hope that anyone who witnessed or suspected sexual abuse will come forward and make a report to law enforcement.
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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Eleven French bishops exposed for sexual abuse: another nail in the coffin?
(For Immediate Release November 8, 2022)
During its annual meeting in Lourdes, the Bishops' Conference of France admitted that 11 current or former bishops are facing accusations of sexual misconduct in civil or religious courts. The statement (with few names) was released during a press conference on November 8 by Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, the president of the Conference.
Moulins-Beaufort read a letter in which one of the accused, now cardinal Ricard, admits to "reprehensible" behavior with a fourteen-year-old girl when he was a priest 35 years ago. Leaving aside the fact that this admission comes safely after the statutes of limitation have run out there is no indication as to the nature of the "reprehensible" behavior. Still, given the Church's frequent use of euphemisms to describe appalling crimes one can assume the worst.
In another case, Bishop Michel Santier was condemned by the Vatican in 2021 for "spiritual abuses leading to voyeuristic acts involving two adult males". Given the media's squeamishness, it takes a little bit of digging to find out that Santier had invented a game of "strip confession": you take one piece of clothing off for each confessed sin. Give them credit for their creative depravity.
The Church could also get credit for the highly unusual step of coming forward with such revelations. Yes, there is an effort at transparency, but one wonders if such an unusual move is not an attempt at pre-empting revelations that would eventually "drip out" and cause more harm in the long run.
These revelations have caused consternation in French society and among survivors even though they have seen it all and are not really surprised. Still, Francois Devaux, a leading survivor could not contain his rage when interviewed on national radio: "When an institution commits crimes on a massive scale in a systemic manner, particularly against children, there are only two possible outcomes: either it reforms itself or it is disbanded." He adds that this is a "collapse of Catholicism's original message". Your Europe correspondent feels the same way and could not have said it better or more forcefully.
Marc Artzrouni
SNAP Europe
Survivors Network of those |
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Marc Artzrouni, Europe Coordinator |
Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard of France admits to abusing a child
(For Immediate Release November 8, 2022)
Shocking news has come out of France as one of the Catholic Church’s highest-ranking members there has publicly admitted that he has sexually abused at least one child while he was a parish priest. This news is another blow to the French church’s moral authority and is a story that we hope will encourage other still-suffering victims to come forward and get help.
According to reports the now-retired Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, who had previously led the Archdiocese of Bordeaux, has admitted that he sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in the1990s. Additionally, 11 other bishops in France are being investigated on claims that they too sexually abused children. Clearly, the rot at the top of the French church is only beginning to be revealed.
While this sudden confession is shocking to many, we are not surprised by these revelations. When an independent report into sexual abuse in France was published, it estimated that as many as 216,000 children were victims of clergy sexual abuse and that at least 3,700 clergy and lay abusers worked in the French church. These numbers are massive and spoke to the fact that there must have been abusers at every level of the church for the problem to go unchecked for so long. Today’s news validates that assumption.
Diocese of Helena Priest Accused of Abusing a Minor
(****UPDATE*****ON MAY 8, 2023 Bishop Vetter issued a letter to parishioners informing them that Fr. Christofferson is cleared to return to public ministry and the review board did not find sufficient evidence) (For Immediate Release November 1, 2022)
Father Kevin Christofferson was placed on administrative leave last week by the Diocese of Helena after being accused of abusing of a minor in 2001. Fr. Christofferson worked at Immaculate Conception in Polson, MT.
It is astonishing to us that Church officials routinely announce that a cleric’s placement on leave is not an admission of guilt. However, it would be more helpful if Bishop Austin Vetter would inform parishioners from Christofferson’s prior workplaces about the current allegations. This affirmative action would alert parishioners and the public. Statistics and experience routinely demonstrate that those who harm children seldom have just one victim.
Statistics in Canada show Catholics have Disaffiliated from the Church
According to Statistics Canada, Canada's national statistical office, there are 2 million people who have "disaffiliated" with the Catholic church. Given the string of scandals the church has faced in recent years, we are not shocked by these numbers.
From the latest round of revelations regarding abuse and murder at residential boarding schools to exposes of Canadian Church abuse cover-up, the issue of Catholic sex abuse has been much discussed in the past several years. The amplification of these horrors has no doubt been a leading factor in why Catholics in Canada are choosing to walk away from the church. Simply put, the institution is a dangerous place for children and an increasing source of worry for parents.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis went to visit Canada to issue an apology for the historical abuse and neglect of Indigenous children at Catholic Church-run residential schools. But as these data show, a mere apology isn’t going to reverse the trend of Catholics leaving the church for safer pastures. If the church wants to stem the bleeding, they should join the chorus of voices pleading for a national-level investigation that will examine, from an independent and secular perspective, the true scope and context of clergy abuse in the nation. Until such an investigation is carried out, we expect more and more parents to join in this latest exodus.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, Communication Manager ([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)
Michigan AG Forces Transparency on Church Officials in Marquette
Once again, thanks to the intrepid work by Michigan’s Attorney General, we now know much more about the issue of clergy abuse within the state of Michigan. We are grateful to A.G. Dana Nessel and her team for their transparency and for releasing a report that provides parents, parishioners, and the public with far more detail about the extent of clergy abuse in Marquette than had been provided by Catholic officials.
CHARGES AGAINST FOUR MEN FOR SEXUAL ABUSE WERE MEMBERS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESS
(For Immediate Release October 27, 2022)
Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced criminal charges against four individuals in Pennsylvania, Jesse Hill, formerly of Berks County and now a resident of the state of Georgia, Jose Serrano of Lancaster County, Eric Eleam of Butler County, and Robert Ostrander, formerly of Cambria County and now a resident of New York, for the sexual assault and exploitation of children. In each case, all of the defendants’ victims were minors and members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations.
The details of these crimes are horrifying. Our hearts go out to the victims who bravely shared their truth, and we hope that they are receiving the support and professional assistance that they require. No child should ever experience the feeling of terror and fear, let alone sexual abuse.
The 49th Investigating Grand Jury in Pennsylvania determined these charges and are brought by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office to be prosecuted by Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Dan Dye. The investigation found that these men sexually exploited and abused 19 minors with whom they had direct contact, which included their own children in some cases.
AG Shapiro and his team have been steadfast warriors on the side of victims. The OAG investigations of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania have been one of the most successful in the country in securing convictions. We hope AG Shapiro’s track record of arresting over 500 child predators will inspire anyone who suffered sexual abuse in any institution or religious denomination, to come forward and make a report using the AG’s confidential hotline at 888-538-8541.
We hope that today's announcement serves as another warning to anyone thinking of harming a child or covering up abuse, that they will face serious consequences. Every Jehovah's Witness official who knew about, suspected of or shielded these heinous crimes should be fired and charged with failing to report potential child sex crimes to law enforcement. That is how we will deter such callous disregard in the future as a society.
CONTACT: Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386, [email protected]) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications 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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Diocese of Buffalo and NY Attorney General Reach Agreement; SNAP responds
(For Immediate Release October 25, 2022)
After years of investigation, today New York’s highest law enforcement official settled a case against Catholic officials from Buffalo. We are disappointed in the lack of results from this settlement and hope that justice for survivors and accountability for enablers in Buffalo will still come.
According to statements from both A.G. Letitia James and Church officials from the Diocese of Buffalo, the settlement as agreed to does not result in any public disclosures of abusers or enablers does not involve any perpetrators facing trial and does not make any changes to the status quo that ease the effects of trauma in Buffalo survivors or make any children in Buffalo safer.
In practical terms, the settlement adds a new staffer to the hierarchy in Buffalo, a Child Protection Policy Coordinator. We are concerned that the person appointed to this role is someone who already works within the Diocese itself and would have greatly preferred to see a truly independent, non-church-related individual take over this office. Similarly, two previous bishops have been prevented from serving in roles with fiduciary responsibility, but, as pointed out by Catholic officials themselves, are not barred from serving in ministerial or pastoral roles. For two men who were accused of covering up decades of sex crimes against children, such a “punishment” does not even qualify as a slap on the wrist.
CONTACT: Judith Burns-Quinn, SNAP Leader, Buffalo NY, ( 716-826-4554 [email protected] ) Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267) 261-0578 ), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), 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 www.SNAPnetwork.org)
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Archbishop Emeritus Chaput Calls Out President Biden; SNAP responds
(For Immediate Release October 24, 2022)
Who is the hypocrite and liar? Charles Chaput is part of a Capuchin province that is far from being the minority of abusive clerics in Guam. In Denver, while archbishop, Chaput wounded victims of sex abuse, note the case of Katia Birge, who was allegedly raped by a Catholic lay minister when she was 25. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, chastised Chaput in the matter.
While in Denver, Chaput never published a list of abusers of his own order. His brother Capuchin, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, is from a Capuchin province that also has never published a list of abusers and who purports to be the lead cardinal for the US response to the Catholic sex abuse crisis. How can O'Malley lead anything when his own order is hiding its abusive clerics?
When he worked in Philadelphia, he let down more victims of abuse. In one case, and with cowardice, Chaput canceled a meeting with a victim once local media learned of the planned appointment. In an address to Ohio seminarians on March 27, 2019, Chaput blamed sexual abuse in the Catholic Church on "a trend of predatory homosexuality and a failure to remove it out of church life."
In May 2016, the Pennsylvania Legislature was on track to move legislation that would eliminate civil and criminal statutes of limitations in cases of sexual abuse and provide a window of time for victims who were time-barred from civil action. As Archbishop of Philadelphia, Chaput corralled the diocesan priests to give them ‘pulpit tips’ to encourage parishioners to call their local state representatives to vote no on the proposed legislation. That bill never made it through the judiciary committee.
In our opinion, the archbishop should put down the bullhorn and the rocks until he has cleaned up his own glass house while in retirement and active on the speaking circuit. Because of Chaput's and O'Malley's hypocrisy and secrecy, President Biden and all other Catholics may be taking their sacraments from abusers.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager([email protected], 267-261-0578), Becky Ianni, Virginia SNAP Leader [email protected], 703-801-6044) 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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Diocese of La Crosse Priest Abruptly Resigns With Admission
(For Immediate Release October 24, 2022)
“After many years of neglect, I am being called to face the wrong I caused someone by behavior inappropriate for a priest,” Pierce said. “Facing up to what I have done now requires that I resign as your pastor.”
To us, Pierce’s resignation achieves virtually nothing. It's incumbent on La Crosse Diocese Bishop William Patrick Callahan to quickly announce whether Pierce’s admission constitutes a credible allegation. Was this victim a child or an adult? And after that, we insist Callahan use pulpit announcements, parish bulletins, and church websites to aggressively seek out anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered crimes or neglect by Msgr Pierce while in the eastside parishes, previous work assignments, and seminary life. It is rare to see one allegation cited with such a quick resignation.
“After many years of neglect?” Pierce is not old in years and consciences are a lifetime. We can’t help but wonder if church officials ignored the allegations against Pierce and we hope any and all information is turned over to law enforcement. In Wisconsin, victims of child sexual assault older than 45 can’t bring criminal charges forward, and for civil cases, the ability to sue ends at age 35. For a priest who loved his weekly ‘blah, blah, blah' letter to parishioners, Pierce and church officials are silent about this disturbing news. Every parent, every parishioner, past and present, who had contact with Msgr. Pierce should be alerted.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [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 SNAPnetwork.org)
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