Vatican - Vatican releases defrocking stats on predator priests; SNAP responds
For immediate release: Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach CA, western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949 322 7434, [email protected])
The Vatican has released statistics on defrocking priests over a two year period. This is not progress.
Numbers don't protect kids. Decisive action protects kids. Parents, police, prosecutors and parishioners need the names and whereabouts of every child molesting Catholic cleric. That's the information that the Vatican should be making public.
Just yesterday, our group publicly exposed a Catholic cleric, Brother Damien Chong, who molested in California, was sent to Chicago and now works in Massachusetts as a chaplain in a mall. Not a single Catholic official in any of those three states has done anything to warn a single family about this potentially dangerous man. And there are thousands of proven, admitted and credibly predator priests out there like Chong, living and working among unsuspecting families and employers – and sometimes still in church jobs – because of the continuing secrecy of top Catholic officials.
The Vatican's focus should be on prevention, not on damage control on the tail end after a priest, nun, seminarian, brother or bishop has already assaulted dozens of boys or girls.
We strongly suspect that these numbers are being made available now because of the grilling Vatican officials took yesterday in Geneva. It seems that once again, only external pressure is prompting church officials to belatedly and grudgingly make a tiny gesture to mollify outraged parishioners and victims and secular authorities
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]), Judy Jones 636-433-2511,[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
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