Sex abuse victims to leaflet as parishioners leave mass

Next door, a convicted child-molesting clergyman worked/works

George ‘importing’ convicted predator is 'new low', SNAP says

The Pope defrocks pedophile, but Chicago’s cardinal quietly hires him

Top Catholic official secretly reverses his 2003 pledge to never bring criminal back here

For first time ever, SNAP urges parishioners to write the Pope complaining about George

WHAT
As mass ends, clergy sex abuse victims will hand out fliers to parishioners about a newly-defrocked pedophile priest who, despite his criminal conviction and Cardinal Francis George’s promise, now works or recently worked in Chicago again.

The leaflets urge Catholics to
-- call the archdiocese and complain about the predator’s return,
-- write the Pope about the Cardinal’s continuing recklessness, and
-- work harder than ever, in their own parish, to seek out others who saw, suspected, or suffered clergy sex crimes and get them to call therapists and police

WHEN
Sunday, November 23, 11:45 a.m.

WHERE
Outside St. Mary of the Angels Catholic church 1850 N. Hermitage in Chicago

WHO
Several clergy sex abuse victims and family members who are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
Last month, the Sun Times disclosed that a controversial, convicted child-molesting clergyman is back in Chicago, working again for Cardinal Francis George, even though George was forced to oust him after media attention and public outrage in 2003.

That year, news accounts revealed that Fr. Kenneth J. Martin, originally from the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., was living in George’s mansion one week each month and working as a “liturgy expert” in the Chicago archdiocese. George was severely criticized because just six months earlier, America’s bishops adopted an allegedly ‘zero tolerance’ policy toward clergy sex crimes.

Since then, SNAP contends, George has repeatedly defied that policy, yet seen his stature rise in the church hierarchy. George, now president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, reluctantly voted for zero tolerance six years ago, only after repeatedly and publicly arguing for a more lenient policy, which appears to be what he has practiced in Chicago.

SNAP fears there may be some in the parish or neighborhood who may have seen, suspected or suffered Martin’s misdeeds. The group is urging them to step forward, get help, and call police.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2008/09_10/2008_10_19_Thomas_PriestWho.htm