Diocese of Cleveland Welcomes New Bishop as SNAP Challenges Him on Transparency
The Diocese of Cleveland is welcoming a new leader today and we are calling on local parishioners to examine his record closely and demand that their diocese will be treated to more openness and transparency that the previous diocese led by this new bishop.
Bishop Edward Malesic comes to Cleveland by way of Greensburg, PA, one the dioceses investigated in 2018 by PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Notably, Bishop Malesic was one of two prelates that filed legal challenges to A.G. Shapiro’s investigation. In our opinion, this move was an attempt to keep information about abusers and their enablers hidden. Fortunately, Bishop Malesic’s challenge failed and citizens in western Pennsylvania were better able to learn the truth about the scope of clergy sexual abuse and cover-up in their local area.
In another display of secrecy, Bishop Malesic refused to tell the public about a second allegation of abuse made against one of his Greensburg priests, a critical omission that we believe was made in order to lessen the gravity of the scandal facing the diocese. This behavior falls far short of the promise made by American prelates to be “open and honest” in cases of clergy sexual abuse. We hope that Bishop Malesic will do better in Cleveland.
Parishioners and the public in Ohio deserve transparency and we call on Bishop Malesic to pledge that he will not fight against any investigations begun by secular law enforcement officials, whether in Ohio or at a federal level. We also hope that parishioners in the Diocese of Cleveland will hold Bishop Malesic accountable for his previous attempts at secrecy and demand that their children and vulnerable are better protected and kept informed about cases of abuse within their diocese.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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