For immediate release: 6/10/10 at 5:00 p.m. (in USA)

Pope speaks of "secondary scandals;" Clergy abuse victims respond

Statement by David Clohessy of SNAP

Tonight, the Pope passed up a perfect chance to
--- announce bold steps that actually safeguard children,
--- urge thousands of priests to call police if they see or suspect or learn of child sex crimes, and
--- acknowledge and thank the few, brave whistleblower priests like Fr. Thomas Doyle, Fr. James Scahill and others who have found the strength, courage and compassion to expose their corrupt, predatory colleagues and supervisors.

We're very sad because every day that the Pope refuses to take decisive action to protect kids is heartbreaking. Every time he tries to minimize the ongoing clergy sex abuse and cover up crisis, by using phrases like "secondary scandal," it's hurtful to victims, children and many Catholics. Every time he suggests that decades of concealing crimes are mere "insufficiencies," he digs the church deeper into an already cavernous, unhealthy, and depressing hole.

FOR INTERVIEWS

In Rome:
--- Three SNAP leaders are at the Hotel Cicerone, Via Cicerone 55, 00193 (tel +39 06 35.76). They are Joelle Casteix 338-456-7942 (Italian cell) jcasteix@gmail.com, Peter Isely 338-456-7879 (Italian cell), and Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003 snapdorris@gmail.com

In the US:
--- David Clohessy is at 314 566 9790 (cell), 314 645 5915 (home), SNAPclohessy@aol.com
--- Dozens of other clergy sex abuse victims who belong to SNAP are listed on our website: SNAPnetwork.org

SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 22 years and have more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers.