AUSTRALIA- Victims to Pope: demand Cardinal returns to Australia to testify
For immediate release: Friday, May 22, 2015
Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, founder and president of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (312-399-4747, [email protected])
We urge Pope Francis to demand that Australia’s highest ranking Catholic official, Cardinal George Pell, return to his home country to face questions from the Royal Commission investigating sex crimes and cover up. The Cardinal has been implicated in the cover up.
Pell should be assisting the Royal Commission in getting the complete picture. He should testify before the government panel where allegations have been raised against him for his mishandling of clergy sex abuse crimes, including recent testimony that he bribed a victim to stay quiet. The truth should be exposed so that justice for Australian Catholics and victims is unattainable.
Pope Francis can make the difference. He should act now. Keeping Pell in Rome appears as a deliberate effort to keep the truth hidden and victims in pain. Francis promised to do better. We hope he will act on that promise and send Pell back to Australia to answer to the Royal Commission.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]); Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]); Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
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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