(For Immediate Release April 29, 2022) 

Once again, Pope Francis has handed down an order to the Pontifical Commission for the protection of Minors, headed by Boston Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley. The new directive instructs the Commission to "work with bishops around the world to establish special welcome centers for victims and to audit the church’s progress on fighting abuse from its new perch within the Vatican."

SNAP members and our allied organizations have called for accountability and transparency for decades. The Pope placed more emphasis on this today, and also highlighted the fear of losing more of the Church’s faithful due to distrust of the hierarchy. That trust has been eroding for years. In a meeting of bishops in Rome in February of 2019, discussions were held on how to protect children in the hope it would rid the institution of sexual abuse and rape.

We believe the message Pope Francis has sent to the commission to "work with bishops" worldwide will get lost in translation and never receive the cooperation it deserves. Policies and procedures have never been missing, it has been the failure to remove abusers and to hold hierarchs who conceal their crimes accountable. In other words, the flagrant disregard of existing policy. In fact, many of today’s bishops celebrate weekly masses on altars above the crypts of their own dioceses’ deceitful predecessors. Current Church officials may not have been responsible for their failures, but they apparently still lack the will to come clean about what happened in the past.

One of the new mandates for the commission is to help bishops’ conferences establish "survivor welcome centers," where victims can find healing and justice. As ambitious as this may sound, it is hard for us to believe that survivors of sex abuse would ever entertain entering a center manned by the very institution that has minimized and hidden these horrific crimes, and escaped justice for doing so thousands of times over.

While we remain skeptical of this new order by Pope Francis, we recognize some good things within it. For example, we are glad that the Vatican is specifically recognizing that bishops throughout the world have truly done nothing for victims of abuse except prolong the pain, delay resolutions, and denounce legislation that would allow individuals who have been time-barred from justice their day in court. CHILD USA reports twenty-seven U.S. States and Territories have revival or window legislation for expired civil claims. There is more work to be done.  

But ultimately, the one thing that survivors and advocates have been asking for is accountability from the Church hierarchy. Yet again, the Vatican has made a grand pronouncement on the issue of clergy abuse while failing to follow through with penalties for prelates accused of egregious conduct or involved in cover-ups. 

We hope the soon to be updated Dallas Charter, first published in 2002, will include participation and input from survivors and advocates. Identifying and removing abusers is important to prevent future crimes, but it is even more important to punish those who enabled the abuse in the first place. By our accounting, 13 Catholic clergy, religious brothers, nuns, and other staff or volunteers have been criminally charged so far this year. Abuse is not just in the past of the Church, it is still happening today, and likely will continue into the future. 

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communication Manager ([email protected]), 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP 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)

Two Cases of Clergy Abuse Settled in Seattle

For immediate release, April 29, 2022

Washington’s largest Catholic diocese has settled two more claims from victims alleging sexual abuse at the hands of a priest and a lay volunteer in Seattle. We applaud the bravery of these survivors and hope that their example will encourage other, still-silent victims to come forward to family, friends, or law enforcement.

The two cases settled against the Archdiocese of Seattle represent one case of abuse from the 1970s – accusing volunteer David Pearson – and one case of abuse from 1987 -- implicating Fr. Paul Conn. As time marches on, more and more survivors from the 1980s and 1990s are starting to come forward. Cases like these are examples of the reality of delayed disclosure in cases of childhood sexual abuse and reflect the fact that the average age at which an abuse survivor first reports is 52. Essentially, this means as we get deeper into the 2020s, we can expect to see more survivors from the 1980s and 1990s speaking out.

Now that these cases have been settled, we call on Church officials in Seattle to use this as an opportunity to update their list of accused priests. Given that Mr. Pearson, one of the men against whom a case was settled, was a volunteer, we think now is the perfect opportunity for the Archdiocese to list him and any other volunteer or lay employee who abused children, a cohort that consistently makes up about 20% of cases of abuse according to secular investigations of church-related abuse.

We also believe that the Archdiocesan list may not be complete. Our own internal analytics suggest that a diocese the size of Seattle should be associated with 150+ abusers, a number that is almost double the existing Seattle list. Hopefully, this latest news will spur action, not only from Catholic officials who owe their parishioners transparency but from elected law enforcement officials who can and should open a full investigation into the abuse of the vulnerable within the state of Washington.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]), Mary Dispenza, SNAP Leader Seattle (425-644-2468, [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)

An ex-St. Louis archdiocesan official has recently lived with and given substantial money to a seminarian who now

• is being sued for alleged abuse in 2019,
• faces six accusers in three states, and
• attends St. Louis University.

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 28, 2022)

Today SNAP sent the following letter to District Attorney Diana Becton regarding Case Number 01-22-00212, State v. Kiesle. We asked that the DA's office work very hard to keep Mr. Kiesle behind bars, for the safety of the public.

April 28, 2022

SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

PO Box 16376

Chicago, IL 60616

The Honorable Diana Becton

District Attorney of Contra Costa County

900 Ward St
Martinez, CA 94553

[email protected]

Re: Case Number 01-22-00212, State v. Kiesle

Dear Ms. Becton:

We are local representatives of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Some of us attended the arraignment of the former Catholic priest Stephen Miller Kiesle last week. At the time, we heard Mr. Kiesle’s attorney say that his bail should be reduced because he is “not dangerous” and that a restraining order requested to benefit the widow of Curtis Gunn was unnecessary because Mr. Kiesle is not “a threat.”

We believe Mr. Kiesle is both dangerous and a threat, as well as a flight risk. In addition to the criminal charges referenced above, he is currently named in about fifteen civil lawsuits that target his former employer, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, for abuse that Mr. Kiesle perpetrated as a priest, as a deacon, as a seminarian, or as a volunteer. Mr. Kiesle is also being sued in at least one case for the wrongful death of one of his child abuse victims. With so much going against him, Mr. Kiesle really has nothing to lose, and could flee not just from the criminal prosecution, but also from all the civil cases that surely will require him to appear.

(For Immediate Release April 27, 2022) 

According to the news outlet The Pillar, Bishop Richard Stika dismissed as “boundary issues” allegations that a Knoxville seminarian forcibly pinned a fellow student down after subjecting him to a barrage of graphic sexual advances. Diocesan records suggest that Bishop Stika played down the assault accusations while giving the seminarian thousands of dollars in cash, furnishing him with expensive electronics, and paying his cell phone bill.

To us, the news that continues to emanate from the Diocese of Knoxville and the involvement of Bishop Stika is like a bad multi-season series on Netflix. From April 2021 through April 2022 the news featured reports of a lawsuit accusing the Bishop of a cover-up, allegations that Bishop Stika bullied a Catholic over mishandled accusations, a lawsuit for the cover-up of an alleged rape, and even a Vatican investigation into the Bishop.

In a shocking lawsuit filed in the Knox County Circuit Court on February 22, 2022, the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and its Bishop faced six different counts including defamation, negligence in supervision and retention, as well as negligence in the training of a diocesan seminarian. Also, among the counts was intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The complaint describes the outrageous behavior of a Knoxville seminarian, Wojciech Sobczuk, culminating in the rape of a diocesan employee called John Doe for the purposes of the lawsuit.

(For Immediate Release April 26, 2022) 

Five cases of Catholic sex abuse settle in Chicago; SNAP calls for more action.

Now that the Archdiocese of Chicago has agreed to settle five cases of Catholic sexual abuse for a combined $800,000, we urge Church officials to find others who may have been hurt by these men and may still be trapped in silence, shame, and self-blame.

We are grateful to the survivors of the four priests and an Irish Christian brother who stepped forward, sought justice, and exposed these perpetrators. We believe that other victims of sexual violence will feel vindication because of their courage, and we hope this settlement brings them some measure of healing.

One of the four priests involved in this settlement is Fr. George Clements, who went on leave in 2019 at age 87 as the Archdiocese investigated a sexual abuse allegation against him from 1974. Fr. Clements died of a stroke later that same year. The longtime priest also had four adopted sons, a first for an American priest and to us a possible red flag.

The settlement reportedly also referenced Brother Edward C. Courtney, who worked in all three Chicago-area Irish Christian Brothers high schools in the 1960s and 1970s as well as order-run schools in Michigan and Washington. The Chicago Sun-Times reported last year that Br. Courtney had been accused of being a “serial sexual predator” responsible for abusing more than 50 children.

While these five cases have settled, the work is far from over. We beg the Archdiocese of Chicago to update its list of abusive clergy members which has remained stagnant since June of 2021. In particular, Cardinal Blasé Cupich should make sure that the names of the other three priests that were part of this settlement are made public. In addition, if the Cardinal wants to be a real shepherd, he will use parish bulletins, church and archdiocesan websites, and pulpit announcements to urge anyone with information or suspicions about any abusive bishop, priest, deacon, brother, nun, church staffer or volunteer to come forward to secular authorities.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]) Larry Antonsen, SNAP Leader Chicago, (773-255-3382, [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)

(For Immediate Release April 26, 2022) 

During a 2008 World Youth Day press conference, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia, then an auxiliary bishop, remarked that survivors of clergy sex abuse were "dwelling crankily"on "old wounds." His comments appalled the survivor community in his country at the time. Yet according to a recent report, when the U.S. Catholic bishops gather June 13-17th for a retreat in San Diego,  the assembly will feature spiritual talks by Archbishop Fisher.

To us, the invitation to Archbishop Fisher is yet another slap in the face of survivors worldwide. To feature a hierarch who demonstrated such a stunning lack of understanding of the long-term effects of clergy sexual abuse is nothing short of perplexing, especially since the Church continues to experience ongoing cases of abuse and cover-up.  

Australia's Royal Commission, a top-level inquiry into institutional child sexual abuse in Archbishop Fisher's own country, found 4,444 allegations of child sexual abuse had been reported to Catholic authorities. The Commission said in February 2017 that most of the abuse took place in churches, with 7 percent of Catholic priests in Australia accused of abusing children between 1950 and 2010. The Commission also reported that these allegations were almost never investigated by the Church and that in some dioceses more than 15 percent of clerics were perpetrators.

(For Immediate Release April 25, 2022) 

A recent court ruling has opened the door to the release of psychological treatment records of priests in the Catholic Diocese of Albany accused of child sexual abuse.

To us, the only way for the Catholic church to start designing a safer institution for children is when full transparency is willfully offered. With the facts about the abuse crisis, its abusers, and its enablers, the future can be better than the past.

For example, in the late 90s, the Los Angeles District Attorney investigated convicted priest Michael Baker and requested his personnel files from the Los Angeles Archdiocese, which fought to keep them from the proceedings. The Archdiocese was eventually required to turn over all the files on Baker. These files included information that led to a second victim which may have never been known unless authorities pressed further. All totaled, Baker has had 23 allegations against him. We can’t help but think how many lives this disclosure of information has impacted.

It is sad to advocates that it takes a secular court to time and again force Albany, and all bishops, into being transparent. Even with this court order, society cannot trust that catholic leaders will do the right thing and tell the truth. Whatever is provided should be audited and if it is discovered that files were withheld, those responsible should go to jail. 

Yet another case of clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Knoxville has been made public, the latest in a string of scandals to befall Tennessee’s youngest diocese. We hope that this news will cause parents and parishioners to demand more transparency and accountability from Church leaders in Knoxville.

(For Immediate Release April 19, 2022)

A partial settlement between survivors of sexual abuse and the Diocese of Camden has been announced today.  Over 300 hundred claimants have filed lawsuits against the diocese. In conjunction with the $87.5 million provided by the diocese, the courageous victims, along with their counsel, can act against the insurance companies that represent the diocese. The partial settlement still requires the Bankruptcy Court’s approval.

We are grateful to the survivors of sexual abuse from the Diocese of Camden who stood up for their rights and for all victims. We know that none of this would be possible without them. Credit also goes to the hard work of Senator Joseph Vitale of New Jersey State legislature who was instrumental in getting window legislation passed to allow the lawsuits to be filed. While we understand that bankruptcy denies survivors their day in court, we hope this brings closure to so many who have long held the liability themselves.

Included in the partial settlement is an agreement to strengthen child protection within the diocese and for public disclosure of the history of abuse in the Diocese of Camden. Our expectation is that the accounting is full, unfiltered, and must include abusive clerics from religious orders.

We hope this news encourages the Office of Attorney General in New Jersey to soon release the findings of their now 4yr investigation into abuse cases within the Catholic Church. We hope that investigators in New Jersey are looking long and hard to find creative pathways toward justice for survivors and to prevent more cases of abuse in the future.

New Jersey SNAP Leader Mark Crawford said, “Today’s partial settlement will finally bring some long overdue level of closure, validation, and healing to these victims in Camden.”

 CONTACT:  Mark Crawford, SNAP New Jersey Leader ([email protected], 732-632-7687) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), 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 more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)