Chilean Survivor on resignations of bishops: "Let Them Pack Their Suitcases"
For immediate release, May 20, 2018
Statement by Tim Lennon, Volunteer President of the Board of Directors of SNAP, the Survivors Network (415-312-5820, [email protected])
Chilean survivor Juan Carlos Cruz responds to the recent resignations of all the bishops of Chile: “Let them pack their suitcases.”
The courage demonstrated by Juan Carlos and other survivors of horrific sexual abuse in Chile has propelled a movement for reform.
Resignations are not enough. Action and reform are necessary. Advocates at Bishop Accountability took the Chilean bishops to task for not practicing ‘zero tolerance’ with accusations of child sexual abuse, not promising to inform law enforcement of abuse, and omitting any recognition of the church’s role in making reparations to the victims.
The practice and culture of bishops in Chile and around the world must change dramatically. Resigning is not enough. All bishops who have covered up sexual abuse at the expense of the innocent need to pack their bags.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org )
Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Melanie Jula Sakoda (925-708-6175,[email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected])