Richmond Catholic Officials Remove Priest Who Ran Critical Blog
In a surreal move, Catholic officials have removed from ministry a pastor who has been critical of the Church’s response to cases of child sexual abuse. During the current pandemic, it seems particularly important to us that priests are able to reach out to their parishioners using social media.
It is also ironic that Diocesan leaders moved so quickly to remove Rev. Mark White from service, when one of his criticisms was the slow speed at which Catholic officials removed those who had been accused of abuse. Apparently, the Diocese is more concerned about criticisms than they are about children and vulnerable adults being placed at risk of harm.
This situation is another sad example of the ways in which Catholic officials pivot from transparency towards control. It would have been something quite special if Diocesan leaders in Richmond allowed Rev. White to continue running his blog, accepted his criticisms, and took steps to address and resolve those criticisms. Instead, Bishop Barry Knestout chose to silence Rev. White.
We stand with Rev. White and all other priests of integrity who have worked to change the Catholic Church rather than simply fall in line and wave away the history of abuse and cover-up. We hope that he continues to speak truth to power in his next assignment, and we hope that his parishioners will stand up and speak up on his behalf and demand that Bishop Knestout restore Rev. White to his position immediately.
CONTACT: Becky Ianni, SNAP Virginia Leader ([email protected], 703-801-6044), Dottie Klammer, SNAP Richmond Leader ([email protected], 804-347-9974), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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)
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