Accused abusive priest is now Nashville hospital chaplain
(For Immediate Release April 18, 2023)
He’s now a Tennessee hospital chaplain, even though
--a judge says he “inflamed” an argument that led to a murder,
--a Catholic bishop says he “abused his position as a clergyman,” violated a church code of ethics, tried to deceive investigators and
--a woman says he “sexually, emotionally and psychologically abused her in 2018,” and
--an attorney says he’s had “previous felony convictions.”
He is Fr. Anthony Cipolle and he’s a chaplain at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
We call on the Catholic bishops of Nashville and Maine to
-- publicly warn the public, police and prosecutors about him, for the sake of public safety, and
-- clarify his clerical status, since the public’s been told he can’t function as a priest anymore.
We also applaud Melissa Kearns who bravely revealed her suffering at the hands of Cipolle in Maine’s largest newspaper yesterday.
https://1019por.com/news/074470-bangor-woman-shares-story-of-abuse-from-former-catholic-priest/
Fr. Cipolle’s church supervisors in Maine “did not specify how he allegedly attempted to deceive investigators, nor did it give details of his other alleged infractions” but said “he will not be given another assignment” and “cannot function or present himself as a priest.”
A Florida attorney secured a settlement on behalf of another adult victim of Fr. Cipolle.
https://www.adamhorowitzlaw.com/blog/2023/03/fr-anthony-cipolle-diocese-of-portland/
Catholic bishops can’t recruit, educate, ordain, train, supervise, pay and transfer sexually troubled clerics, then suddenly set them loose on society when they are exposed as wrongdoers. The church hierarchy owes an explanation to parishioners in both Maine and Tennessee and must clarify whether Cipolle has been defrocked or not.
Contact: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578)
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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