Rome- Francis should extradite Polish archbishop or reverse himself

Statement by SNAP leader Miguel Hurtado of the U.K/Spain

(outside the Vatican today in Rome) +44 7787 638245

One Polish Catholic official is a soon-to-be saint. A second one, however, is a fugitive.

When John Paul II celebrations wind down on Monday, we call on Francis to extradite Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski to Polish law enforcement authorities who want to charge him with sexually assaulting kids in the Dominican Republic.

Three months ago, The Tablet reported that “The Holy See said that Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski was a citizen of the Vatican, and that Vatican law did not allow for his extradition.”   

This is hypocrisy, plain and simple.

Francis' top aides claim that they only handle clergy sex crimes that happen on the soil of the tiny Vatican city/state itself. They said this to a United Nations panel in January. They'll say it again to a similar UN panel next month.

Both can't be true. The Vatican says

--it will deal with clergy sex crimes that happened in the Caribbean, but

--it can only deal with clergy sex crimes that happened in a tiny portion of Rome.

So Francis should either turn over the fugitive archbishop to secular authorities or reverse his silly claim that he can't deal with in charge of the church across the globe.

NOTE – ANOTHER UPCOMING SNAP EVENT IN EUROPE

A few SNAP members from several nations will be in Geneva from April 30 through May 7 for a hearing on May 5 and 6 before the United Nations Committee Against Torture, which will consider whether Vatican officials are violating or complying with an international treaty regarding torture.

http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/vatican-summoned-report-un-committee-torture

http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_ccr_filed_another_un_complaint_vs_vatican

http://ccrjustice.org/pdf/CCR_SNAP_Shadow_Report_apr2014.pdf

For details about SNAP in Rome today through Tuesday, please contact:

–-SNAP staff: Barbara Blaine (in Rome), European cell +39 366 1160224, U.S. cell +1 312 399 4747, Rome hotel- +39 06 598591;   [email protected], Miguel Hurtado (in Rome) +44 7787 638245, Nicky Davis (in Rome) European cell +39 388 9068750, [email protected], David Clohessy (in Missouri) +1 314 645 5915 home, +1 314 566 9790 cell, [email protected] or Barbara Dorris (in Missouri) +1 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected] or the SNAP office in Chicago at +1 312 455 1499, [email protected]g or [email protected]

For details about the Geneva event, please contact:

–-Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) staff: Jen Nessel ([email protected]), Pam Spees ([email protected]), or at the CCR office in NYC (+1 212-614-6464)

OR 

--SNAP staff: Barbara Blaine (in Europe), European cell +39 366 1160224, U.S. cell 312 399 4747, [email protected], Miguel Hurtado (in Rome) European cell +44 7787 638245, David Clohessy (in Missouri) +1 314 645 5915 home, +1 314 566 9790 cell, [email protected] or Barbara Dorris (in Missouri +1 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected] or at the SNAP office in Chicago at +1 312 455 1499, [email protected] or [email protected]

There are also dozens of local SNAP volunteer leaders on the SNAP website who are local spokespersons for the group: SNAPnetwork.org. Also please check the SNAP website for details, media statements, etc.