Diocese of Buffalo to End Payouts to Priests with "Substantiated Allegations" of Abuse
The Diocese of Buffalo has announced it will stop financially supporting priests who have abused children and vulnerable adults, a long overdue move that we believe will help prevent abusers being able to victimize others. We call on the USCCB to make this a national policy.
Investigations by the AP and USA Today have shown that far too many clerics who have been accused of abuse were able to quietly settle elsewhere thanks to financial assistance from the Catholic Church. Some of these men then went on to abuse others. Similarly, a key component of the “circle of secrecy,” as described in the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury report, was making payments to accused clergymen. We hope that this decision in Buffalo will break yet another one of the spokes of that circle and prevent abusive priests from quietly escaping their crimes and moving into unsuspecting communities.
Now that the Diocese of Buffalo has made this policy change, we believe that every single diocese around the country should follow in their footsteps. Instead of spending that money on abusive clerics, they should be using it to investigate and root out any church staffers who have been involved in abuse or cover-ups or to fund programs that support survivors’ needs for therapy and medical care. The USCCB should make this a national policy immediately.
CONTACT: 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