After Pope’s sexual abuse apology, critics clamor for reform
States must suspend civil statute-of-limitation laws to help victims of Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse, a leading advocacy group said Sunday, hours after Pope Francis met with survivors of clerical sexual abuse on the last day of his U.S. trip.
As crowds gathered early Sunday morning for a huge Mass in Center City Philadelphia during the afternoon, Pope Francis met at a seminary just outside the city for 40 minutes with individuals had been sexually abused when they were minors: The pontiff met with three women and two men who were not named, but were said to be from the area.
Prior to Sunday’s meeting, the Vatican faced mounting questions about whether or not Francis would meet with abuse victims during this trip. The meeting came at the tail end of the pope's first visit to the United States, which started Sept. 23. After the afternoon Mass, Francis met with Vice President Joe Biden and other officials before departing for Rome in the evening.
“I am deeply sorry for . . .
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