Cardinal Cupich of Chicago says sex abuse in Church is a "distraction"
Cardinal Cupich of Chicago says sex abuse in the Church is a "distraction"
For immediate release, September 11, 2018
Statement by Tim Lennon, President of SNAP, [email protected], 415-312-5820
Cardinal Blase Cupich recently told a group of seminarians that “while the church’s ‘agenda’ certainly involves protecting kids from harm, we have a bigger agenda than to be distracted by all of this.” The cardinal also added, “I feel very much at peace at this moment. I am sleeping OK.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/?post_type=cst_article&p=1347183
Cardinal Cupich may be 'at peace," but all around him hundreds of thousands of victims cry out in pain, as they experience a lifetime of turmoil. The Faithful are confused and angry. His Church is imploding. There are calls for Pope Francis to resign. We can only shake our heads at this clueless "prince of the church" and wonder how he could possibly be at peace.
The uncaring arrogance of church officials like Cardinal Cupich coupled with the callous disregard for the safety of children and the pain of survivors exemplifies why sexual abuse and rape, and its cover up, continues to be a systemic problem in the Catholic Church. As the Pennsylvania grand jury report demonstrated, we can not rely on the hierarchy to protect young people and vulnerable adults.
Our safety, and the safety of our community, must depend on prosecutors, district attorneys and attorney generals who will undertake independent investigations. Thankfully, there are plenty of people who do not find sexual abuse in the Church a "distraction," but a serious problem that deserves law enforcement's full attention and sweeping legislative reform.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been working for thirty years to support victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings and has more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [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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