Clergy sex victims appeal to Pope

"Oust 2 proven predators who are now overseas," they say

One child molesting cleric assaulted a boy in Holliston MA

But now, despite conviction, he still works in Catholic church

Group reacts to stunning new AP report about 30 predator priests

SNAP wants pedophiles housed securely & listed on international church data base

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference, a clergy sex abuse victim will publicly urge the Pope to
-- oust clerics who molested US kids but now work for the church in other countries, and
-- create an international, on-line registry of proven, admitted and credibly accused predator priests.

They will also
-- beg Massachusetts Catholic bishops to publicly help with this effort and seek out other victims,
-- prod all Catholic officials to house predator priests in independent, remote, secure and professionally-run treatment centers so they’ll be away from children, and
-- ask other people who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes to come forward, call police, expose predators, protect kids and start healing.

WHEN
TODAY, Thursday, April 15, 2 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the Springfield Diocese Catholic HQ (chancery), 65 Elliot Street (corner of State) in Springfield MA

WHO
Two-three members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests including a western MA man whose predator has been sent to work in Italy

WHY
Late yesterday, a shocking new Associated Press investigation found that 30 child molesting Catholic clerics are now working in new countries for the church, often near kids, despite having been convicted or faced credible child sex allegations in a previous country. (Often, the predators were quietly shipped from more wealthy nations to the Third World, where kids are even more vulnerable.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/04/14/AR2010041404100.html

One of the clerics is Fr. Mario Pezzotti, who was accused of sexually assaulting a boy at a now-closed Holliston, Mass., boarding school run by his Xaverian religious order. Allegations against him surfaced in early 1993, but Pezzotti had already been sent to a remote area of Brazil's Amazon to work as a missionary. In 2008, facing public pressure, Catholic officials moved Pezzotti again, this time to Italy where he works now.

A Springfield area man was molested by a different Xaverian cleric, Fr. James Tully, and has publicly spoken of the abuse and “outed” Tully. IN 2008, he tracked down Tully in New Jersey and leafleted the neighborhood where Tully now lives, near the Xavarian headquarters.

To protect children, SNAP members want Catholic officials to 1) publicly identify predators like Pezzotti and Tully as “credibly accused” and ousted from ministry/the priesthood, 2) set up a public, international, on-line registry of predator priests across the globe, and 3) house predator priests in professionally-run facilities so that the offenders can get treatment and kids can be safer.

SNAP wants Massachusetts’ bishops to push the Pope for these reforms.

With the registry, parents, neighbors and employers could quickly and easily learn who and where the predators are and thus keep children away from them. About US 20 bishops have done this. Springfield’s bishop has not.

In a 1993 handwritten note of apology from Pezzotti to one of his victims, the priest admitted passing "through a rather difficult moment" in the 1960s, and said he "asked to leave Holliston (MA) and to go to Brazil to change my life." SNAP, however, is skeptical of this alleged ‘transformation.’

CONTACT
Bill Nash, SNAP spokesperson, cell, 413-219-4312 etipottery@verizon.net
David Clohessy, Executive Director 314 566- 9790 SNAPclohessy@aol.com
Barbara Blaine, SNAP President 312 -399 4747 SNAPblaine@gmail.com