Media Statements

Once again, rather than fight a lawsuit on its merits, Catholic officials in Houston are relying on technicalities to escape responsibility for a clergyman who is currently facing criminal charges in Montgomery County. We hope that parishioners and the public will see through this latest attempt to avoid accountability and demand better from their leaders.

Another lawsuit has been filed against a California Catholic diocese and two churches where a notorious sexual abuser worked. We applaud the victim for coming forward and bringing this new suit, a move that will force more truth and information about clergy sexual abuse into the public eye.

Dear Bishop Jugis,

As representatives of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, we believe that there are at least nine additional men who should be included on the list of abusers which you released at the end of December, 2019, and updated in February of this year. These men are:

In a Hail Mary move to roll back legislation that has already benefited communities throughout New Jersey, a catholic religious order filed a motion to overturn New Jersey’s 2019 Victim’s Rights Bill as unconstitutional. Fortunately, their motion was dismissed and the law – one of the best in the nation – remains on the books.

A priest from Michigan is heading to trial on 11 charges related to child sexual abuse allegations that were uncovered thanks to the work done by Michigan’s attorney general and her team investigating clergy abuse. We applaud the AG and her team for their work in uncovering this hidden abuser and helping keep communities safer and informed.

Thanks to the great work done by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and his team, another survivor of clergy sexual abuse learned he was not alone and that the priest who abused him had been sheltered by his superiors. Now, that survivor is filing a lawsuit against that diocese and the parish where he was abused.

Pope Francis today combined two dioceses in Alaska into one, appointing the current head of the Diocese of Juneau to lead this newly formed archdiocese. This merger presents an opportunity for Catholic officials to demonstrate renewed commitment to the prevention of abuse, and we hope that parishioners and the public will demand openness and transparency from their new leaders.

When one federal judge recused herself from cases involving clergy abuse in New Orleans, it was notable. Now that four judges have recused themselves, it is concerning.

A new bishop has been chosen to lead one of the smallest Catholic dioceses in the nation. We call on him to make the protection of children and the prevention of abuse his number one priority now that he is officially in charge.

A priest who had previously been determined to have “credible” allegations of abuse against him has suddenly removed from the diocesan list following a new investigation. We call on Catholic officials to be clear and direct in sharing the information with the public that has resulted in this change.