Accused Bishop Has Job in Rome Despite being “Suspended,” Vatican Tells Argentinian Court
Once again, the Vatican is saying one thing publicly and doing the opposite behind closed doors. Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta was “suspended” from ministry in February when he was officially charged with sexual abuse. However, despite that suspension Vatican officials appear to be working to ensure that Bishop Zanchetta remains free, telling the court that the demands of his “daily work” require him to be in Rome instead of Argentina while the investigation progresses. This decision is at best questionable and at worst an opportunity for the Argentinian bishop to flee from justice, since there is no extradition treaty between the Vatican and Argentina.
If Pope Francis was serious about his “all-out battle” against cases of clergy abuse, he should order Bishop Zanchetta to remain in Argentina under the supervision of the criminal authorities while awaiting the outcome of the investigation. The Pope should also be personally visiting his home country and urging anyone with information concerning the allegations against Bishop Zanchetta, or any other church official, to come forward and contact law enforcement. He should not be telling the public that the Argentinian bishop is suspended but then submitting documentation to the court that Bishop Zanchetta’s “work” requires his presence in Rome.
Children and the vulnerable are best protected when abusers are kept in jail and when the institutions that enabled them avoid muddying an investigation. What the Vatican is doing in this case shows that their public pronouncements are suspect and that it is up to secular law enforcement and vigilant members of the public to wage this “all-out battle” for them.
Contact: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is www.SNAPnetwork.org)
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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A high ranking Jesuit had resigned earlier due to alleged sexual overtures to Jesuit seminarian John Bollard
Bollard’s case was a 60 Minutes segment.
Background:
Seattle University [a Jesuit university] official quits amid harassment allegations
SEATTLE (WA)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
October 13, 2006
By Phuong Cat Le and Vanessa Ho
P-I reporters
Seattle University vice president who oversees campus ministry has resigned from his post amid allegations that he had sexually harassed a young seminary student a decade ago.
The Rev. Tony Harris, the university’s second-highest ranking Jesuit, resigned Thursday in an e-mail sent to faculty staff and students.
Last Friday, the P-I reported that Seattle University hired Harris in 2001 after he had settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by John Bollard.
In that lawsuit, Bollard accused Harris and two other priests of making repeated sexual overtures when he was training to be a priest in San Francisco in the early 1990s.