As Pope Francis calls for “reflection,” SNAP calls for action
As Pope Francis calls for “reflection,” SNAP calls for action
SNAP Leaders will pass out leaflets with 21 ideas for prevention and protection
“If the church won’t act, we will,” they say
They aim to provide citizens with steps they can take to stop abuse and support survivors
WHAT:
Leaders from the Washington, DC/Virginia chapter of the nation’s oldest and largest advocacy group for victims of clergy and institutional sex abuse, SNAP, will release a list of 21 actions that Catholics, Survivors and Supporters can take right now to protect children and help create a safe environment for victims to come forward. They will hand the list to parishioners as they exit the church,
WHEN:
Sunday February 22nd at 11:00 am
WHERE:
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Avenue, Northeast, Washington, D.C. 20017
WHO:
Several members of SNAP, including Becky Ianni, SNAP Board member, David Lorenz, Maryland SNAP leader, Judy Lorenz, SNAP family support leader: Bill Casey, member of VOTF, Susan Kerin , member of Call to Action and several survivors and supporters.
WHY:
On Thursday the Pope opened the second day of the summit with a list of 21 “reflection points” to help end the clergy abuse crisis.
While some of the points that the Pope has called for echo some of SNAP’s demands, the group is upset that the summit focused more on discussion than action. In response, they have created their own list: 21 steps that average folks can take to help end the crisis.
These actions can be taken now and will help protect children today, prevent future cases of abuse, and will create a safe environment for survivors to come forward. While leafeting this weekend, SNAP will be passing out their list and will be encouraging people to take steps on their own.
“What we’ve learned from the summit this week is that if we want to see action taken to protect children, we will have to do it ourselves,” said Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Member and Virginia/D.C. leader. “The pope wants people to reflect on ideas, but we want people to take action now, and have created this list to help that happen.”
CONTACT: Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Member ([email protected], 703-801-6044) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Melanie Sakoda ([email protected], 925-708-6175)
(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
Showing 1 comment
It is time to FIRE bishops known to be or to have been stonewalling abuse investigations and known to be or to have been covering up abuses and investigations.
Those abused are NOT at fault; Pope Francis IS at fault, and he needs to take that responsibility, not by mouthing apologies and recriminating, but instead by taking ACTION to cleanse the Roman Catholic Church of this heinous mantra.
If this were the private sector, stockholders would rise up and replace the CEO for such lack of disregard for the bottom line – in this case, the well-being of most innocent of the Church, its abused children.