Former Cardinal McCarrick and an Opus Dei priest accused of child sexual abuse in a NY lawsuit; SNAP Reacts
A victim who wishes to remain anonymous filed a new lawsuit under New York's Child Victims Act yesterday. The suit accuses former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and another cleric, New York pastor, and Opus Dei priest Fr. Michael Barrett, of child sex abuse during the 1970s, McCarrick is a known abuser of boys and men and has been defrocked by the Catholic Church for his crimes. The civil window which allowed this action expires on August 14th.
We loudly applaud the brave survivor who stepped forward with his attorney to announce this suit. That is a difficult undertaking for any victim of childhood sexual abuse and we hope the survivor, in this case, understands that his voice, strength, and hope will help others. We empathize with every single person that McCarrick hurt and every single Catholic who feels betrayed by this prominent Catholic official. It is beyond comprehension that Church leaders allowed McCarrick to continue his serial abuse for so long. It took nearly two decades for the Vatican to take action against the former Cardinal and find him guilty of sexual abuse in 2019. A report about McCarrick was released by Rome in November 2020.
We are also pondering the connection between the defrocked Cardinal and the other accused cleric, Fr. Barrett. The priest was a layperson with Opus Dei during the time of the alleged abuse. It is no secret that Pope John Paul II, who has since been canonized a saint, promoted McCarrick despite repeated warnings about his behavior. It is interesting to us that Fr. Barrett was ordained a priest by that same Pope in 1985. The cleric also worked in Rome, Madrid, Houston and Los Angeles.
We urge anyone who may have information regarding abuse by the former Cardinal or Fr. Barrett to report to law enforcement at once. We also hope that Cardinal Timothy Dolan will take appropriate steps to ensure that Fr. Barrett has fully stepped away from ministry while these accusations are investigated. It is long past time for Catholic officials to take the outcry of victims seriously and to do immediate outreach to all of the communities where the accused lived or worked.
CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009), Brian Toale, SNAP New York ([email protected], 646-549-0372)
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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