OR - Victims blast archbishop’s “deceptive & callous” remarks
Shame on Portland Archbishop John Vlazny for his extraordinarily deceitful and hurtful remarks today about a pedophile priest and his victim.
A parent whose child has died is “in tragic circumstances.” A woman who lost a pregnancy is “in tragic circumstances.” A spouse whose partner has committed suicide is “in tragic circumstances.”A breadwinner who has lost his or her job is “in tragic circumstances.”
But a sexually troubled priest who claims to be holy, promised to be celibate and chooses to assault a youngster – instead of going to his bishop and seeking professional help – is not “in tragic circumstances.”
It’s also hurtful and gratuitous for Vlazny to mention that Fr. Perez is supposedly “respected and well-liked.” That’s just rubbing even more salt into the already deep and still fresh wounds of child sex abuse victims – to have a powerful figure publicly praise an arrested, imprisoned and credibly accused child molester. And it’s hurtful and deceptive for Vlazny to call this boy a “young man.” Such deceit is just one of the many ways Catholic officials callously try to minimize the severity of their clerics’ crimes – by misstating the age of their victims.
Shame on Archbishop Vlazny.
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
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