AUS - SNAP blasts promotion for Sydney’s Cardinal
Today the Pope is promoting Cardinal George Pell to the Congregation for Bishops, a powerful international body within the church. We believe this promotion is hurtful to victims.
Victims in Pell’s diocese of Sydney have reported that the process there for reporting abuse, known as Towards Healing, is more of a smoke-screen for the diocese than a way to help victims. Some have charged Towards Healing as actively lobbying to prevent victims from getting legal representation. According to an article in the Canberra Times, 95% of Australian victims have described the system as “abusive, highly adversarial, legalistic and traumatic.”
We think that by promoting such a Cardinal as Pell who has been this antagonistic to victims is indicative of the fact that, despite lengthy statements and calls by the Pope to “bind up the wounds” of clergy abuse victims, actual church policy is to sweep claims under the rug and avoid embarrassment. When church officials are rewarded for doing more to hinder abuse claims than to actual heal them, we find it hard to imagine that the Vatican is serious about healing, and is more concerned about damage control and avoiding scandal.
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