This year saw more appalling revelations about the Catholic Church and the behavior of many priests, exposing just how long some dioceses knew of and concealed sexual abuse. Judy Woodruff has the story, followed by a frank conversation with two abuse survivors and a professor and advocate for change in the church about how these developments affected them and their relationships with the faith.
News Story of the Day
French Sexual Abuse Trial Casts New Cloud on Catholic Church
PARIS — Lyon's archbishop, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin and five other figures are on trial on charges of failing to act against sexual abuse allegations targeting a priest in his diocese. This is the latest pedophilia scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church before a key Vatican conference on sexual abuse.
As Catholic bishops meet in Mundelein, victims of sexual abuse in Chicago slam church leadership
As U.S.-based Roman Catholic bishops gathered in suburban Mundelein for a weeklong retreat, activists in Chicago on Wednesday stood outside the Archdiocese of Chicago’s headquarters to slam church leadership for its handling of sexual abuse investigations.
"The secret not yet told": Women describe alleged abuse by nuns
Catholic bishops from across the U.S. are gathering Wednesday for a weeklong retreat on the clergy sex abuse crisis at a seminary near Chicago. Organizers said the retreat, which was requested by Pope Francis, will focus on prayer and spiritual reflection and not policy-making.
Catholic abuse victims advocate says Sioux City parishioners need to stand against abuse
SIOUX CITY -- Tim Lennon, the president of the board of the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), brought an emotional message to Sioux City Catholic parishioners Saturday afternoon: parishioners need to take control of their churches and the churches' response to sexual abuse.
Third accuser says archdiocese knew about abuse allegations by Houston-area priest as early as 1992
By Nicole Hensley
The headline caught the 37-year-old Army veteran’s eye. Swiping through the results of his fantasy football league, he spied the news on his phone that a Richmond priest had been arrested for decades-old claims that he molested two children at a church in Conroe.
Illinois sex abuse investigation finds Catholic Church withheld names of at least 500 accused priests
A stunning new report on sexual abuse by priests in Illinois has determined that Catholic Church officials knowingly withheld from the public the names of at least 500 clergymen accused of misconduct.
Pope accepts resignation of Los Angeles auxiliary accused of abuse
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of 69-year-old Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar of Los Angeles after the archdiocese's independent Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board recommended he not be allowed to minister because of an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor in the 1990s.
45 states looking to pursue Catholic church for documents on abuse by priests, Pennsylvania attorney general says
By Kevin Johnson, USA Today
WASHINGTON – Law enforcement officials from up to 45 states have sought assistance from Pennsylvania authorities in pursuit of alleged misconduct by Catholic priests and related efforts to conceal that abuse by the church, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.
Catholic Church: Religious orders kept reports of child sex abuse secret for years
Bill Reidy says he remembers every detail about the office where he was repeatedly raped by the Jesuit priest who served as his academic adviser at Loyola Academy, a private Catholic school just outside Chicago.
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director