Argentinian Bishop Jailed For Abusing Seminarians
An Argentinian Bishop who has been a key ally of Pope Francis was sentenced today to 4 ½ years in prison for sexually abusing two former seminarians. We are grateful for this sentence and hope that it encourages other survivors, both in Argentina and throughout Latin America, to come forward and start their own healing journeys.
This news is a blow to Pope Francis who had steadfastly defended Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta and advocated for his innocence. The Pope even went so far as to allow Zanchetta to keep working in the Vatican despite being “suspended” from ministry. To us, this is another example of how hierarchs will choose to protect each other and their institution first and foremost and will do so at the expense of the vulnerable.
Fortunately, the secular justice system has once again repudiated the good-ole-boy system in the church and decided that the testimony of the former seminarians were more important than the flowery words of a close friend and colleague. We are grateful that justice has prevailed in this case and hope that this spurs more survivors forward and will encourage other jurisdictions around the world to look more deeply at how the Roman Catholic Church operates within their borders.
The fact is that children and the vulnerable are best protected when abusers are jailed and when enablers are held accountable. We hope that the reckoning in the Argentine church continues to root out bad actors and ensure that sexual abuse is prevented and punished.
CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267) 261-0578 ), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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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