Vatican claims UN panel “gave more credence to NGOs” over church officials, SNAP responds
For immediate release: Friday, February 07, 2014
Statement by Peter Isely of Milwaukee, board member of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (414-429-7259, [email protected])
Papal spokesman claims UN panel “gave more credence to NGOs” over church officials. This is simply not true.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/vatican-hits-back-un-committee-abuse-report
The UN panel gave credence to decades of well documented horrific crimes and cover ups. Catholic officials can’t spin or promise their way out of the crisis. Catholic officials should not be surprised when well educated objective adults judge them on consistent self serving actions, and not on professed intentions to do better in the future.
The Vatican’s belligerence is deeply disappointing. Listening and learning, not ducking and dodging, can help protect children. People should ask themselves “who do I believe an impressive impartial panel of experts with an unblemished track record, or a handful of powerful complicit clerics with an extraordinarily blemished track record?”
Pope Francis should instruct prelates to call off attack dogs and study the full UN panel report and start taking tangible abuse prevention steps. This is the only way the church hierarchy will be able to start safeguarding children and restoring its justifiably tattered reputation.
(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 25 years and have more than 15,000 members. 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. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747,[email protected]), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, [email protected]), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected])
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
Showing 4 comments
I think that no matter what any of us say in response to their comments, that these particular pedophiles will continue in their lies and personal attacks because so far, this modus aparendi has “worked” for them.
I do however, believe that they now know, and they now realize that WHEN they actually are brought to justice, that many of them may very well be sentenced to death. And, rightly so!
I BELIEVE THAT NOW, THE TIME IS RIPE, WE MUST BE VIGILENT IN OUR PRODUCTION OF EVIDENCE TO THE ICC AND OUR REQUEST FOR THEM TO BRING THE SNAP AND CCR LAWSUIT TO THE COURT. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE EXPEDITIOUSLY, BEFORE THOUSANDS AND POTENTIALLY MILLIONS MORE OF THUS-ABUSED CHILDREN AND DISABLED ADULTS DIE OR FEEL FORCED TO COMMIT MURDER, THEMSELVES.