After Sioux City Revelations, Cardinal DiNardo Must Step Down
For immediate Release: November 7, 2018
The AP reported last week that, for thirty years, the Diocese of Sioux City knew a priest had abused at least 50 children. However, the Diocese chose to conceal this fact from the public, and in doing so put additional young people at risk of serious harm for decades.
A new report from the National Catholic Reporter shows that Cardinal Daniel DiNardo – then the Bishop of Sioux City and today the Cardinal in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston – would have been aware of Fr. Jerome Coyle’s 1986 confession that he had molested dozens of children over a twenty year period. This fact, combined with Cardinal DiNardo’s previous mishandling of abuse allegations in Sioux City, as well as his recent failure with similar allegations against a priest in Conroe, TX, is, in our opinion, proof positive that Cardinal DiNardo is unfit for his role as the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Cardinal DiNardo talked tough following the Pennsylvania Grand Jury, as well as when the allegations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick became public. But words mean nothing when they are not backed up by action. In each of the three egregious cases under his direct control, the Cardinal did nothing.
As the Catholic Church is again publicly grappling with the reality and severity of the clergy abuse crisis, it needs a leader untarnished by accusations of cover up. Cardinal DiNardo’s failure to act in the past should be enough for any bishop who is serious about fixing this crisis to demand his resignation. We hope that this will be the case next week when the USCCB meets in Baltimore.
Children – and the Church – deserve someone who will take steps to remove abusers from ministry, not someone who has covered up for them.
CONTACT: Michael Norris, SNAP Houston Leader ([email protected], 713-855-9178), Zach Hiner, 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 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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Rich, MSW