Benedict Now Admits Being at Meeting About Priest Accused of Abuse
Mere days after issuing a categorical denial of the charges levied against him in a newly-released German report into clergy abuse, former Pope Benedict has now walked back his denials and admitted to being at a meeting at which the details of a priest’s pedophilic predilections were discussed. Given that the former Pope has already had to walk back claims he made in his own defense, we believe that his other claims are also likely to be lies and half-truths.
We find it incredibly ironic that Pope Benedict’s own personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, issued a statement that said some of Pope Benedict’s were “objectively false.” We are not shocked that half-hearted defenses that fly in the face of researched and established facts are being called out as lies by those close to the former Pope, and based on the report released by Westpfahl Spilker Wastl, we expect the rest of Pope Benedict’s defenses to fall by the wayside, too.
The simple fact is that there are documents and testimony that show the former Pope was well aware of the abuses committed by at least four priests and that he took action to defend those men instead of the children under his care. We hope that those who chose to believe Pope Benedict’s words instead of the myriad others contained within this latest report will respond to today’s news by thinking critically about the words and actions of Pope Benedict instead of choosing to defend him blindly. As this report shows, it is clearly up to parents and parishioners to protect themselves and their children; church officials at the highest level cannot be counted on to do so.
CONTACT:
Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]
Zach Hiner, SNAP 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
Showing 1 comment