Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
That line, from the Wizard of Oz, leapt to mind when I read about Pope Francis’ recent endorsement of corporal punishment.
Or to be more accurate, that’s the line that I thought of after reading a Vatican spokesman’s defense of Francis’ remark.
"Who has not disciplined their child or been disciplined by parents when we are growing up?" Fr. Thomas Rosica, of the Vatican press office told Associated Press in an email. "Simply watch Pope Francis when he is with children and let the images and gestures speak for themselves!"
http://rt.com/news/229855-pope-francis-parents-smack/
Whoa!
Pay attention to “images and gestures,” we’re told. Ignore the substance or content, we’re told. If it looks or seems good, then it really is good, we’re told.
We in SNAP are always harping “Words don’t protect kids. Only actions protect kids.” But maybe we should revise our mantra. Maybe we should say “Words, images and gestures don’t protect kids. Only actions protect kids.”
Twice in recent years, Vatican officials dramatically beefed up their ‘image boosting’ operation. First, they hired a former veteran Fox reporter Greg Burke. Then they brought in a highly respected outside public relations firm.
And since then, these PR professionals have done a stunningly effective job at improving the reputations and image of the church hierarchy.
But from time to time, there’s still a clear flub in the Vatican image efforts.
And those flubs tend to be illuminating.
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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