SNAP Demands Action in Advance of Papal Abuse Summit
SNAP Demands Action in Advance of Papal Abuse Summit
They are calling for Pope Francis to fire Cardinal Daniel DiNardo
There “Can Be No Credibility” With DiNardo in Attendance, SNAP Says
“The Time for Decisive Action is Now,” They Say
WHAT: Leaders from the Houston branch of the nation’s oldest and largest advocacy group for victims of clergy and institutional sex abuse will reiterate the groups demands in advance of the Pope’s summit on clergy sexual abuse slated to start on February 21 and will specifically call for the removal of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo due to his mishandling of clergy sex abuse crimes in both Houston and Sioux City, IA
WHEN: Tuesday, February 19th at 4 pm
WHERE: Outside the Co-Cathedral of Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Pkwy, Houston, TX 77002
WHO: Representatives of the Houston, Texas chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the nation’s oldest and largest support and advocacy group for victims of clergy sexual abuse, including the longtime Houston, TX area volunteer leader.
WHY: In advance of a global summit that is ostensibly set to determine pathways forward from the clergy abuse and cover-up crisis, representatives from SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will reiterate their demands for the meeting that they first made via letter to the apostolic nuncio. They are specifically asking that Pope Francis immediately fire any church hierarchs who have had a role in covering up or minimizing cases of child sexual abuse, including Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
The group is singling out DiNardo because he is the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, despite his repeated mishandling of two child abusing clerics in Houston – Fr. Manual LaRosa Lopez and Fr. John Keller – and in Sioux City, Iowa – most notably that of confessed serial abuser, Fr. Jerome Coyle.
“Neither this summit nor any reforms the church hopes to implement back here in the United States can have any credibility as long as Cardinal DiNardo is the man in charge of implementing them,” said Michael Norris, Houston leader of SNAP. “If the Pope really wants to show that he ‘gets it,’ he should immediately remove all the bishops and cardinals who have allowed abusive priests to prey on children, and here in Houston that is Cardinal DiNardo.”
In addition to firing prelates who have covered up abuse, the group has called on Pope Francis to:
- Fire any and all bishops or cardinals who have had a hand in clergy sex abuse cover-ups,
- Impose “dramatic and punitive consequences” to deter any future cover-ups,
- Eliminate any directive for church staff to report abuse to bishops and instead direct all church staff and officials to make reports to law enforcement, and
- Compel bishops around the world to turn their files over to law enforcement for independent investigations into their handling of clergy sex abuse cases, and
- Order bishops and other hierarchs to cease lobbying efforts against legislative reform that would benefit survivors.
CONTACT: Michael Norris, SNAP Houston ([email protected], 713-855-9178) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009), Tim Lennon, SNAP President ([email protected], 415-312-5820)
(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