Germany--Victims applaud move against Bishop of Bling
For immediate release: Wednesday, July 29
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected])
A German diocese will file a €3.9m claim for damages in a Vatican court against the so-called “Bishop of Bling.” We applaud this move. We hope a similar case can and will be filed in secular court too. It’s progress any time anyone takes steps that might help deter callous, selfish acts by Catholic bishops who act like kings.
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/2298/0/-bishop-of-bling-sued-by-his-former-diocese-for-3-9m
Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst once headed the Diocese of Limburg. He resigned in 2013 after having spent more than €31m on redecorating his home. But he now works for the Vatican, which is an outrage. When will Catholic officials stop coddling and promoting their irresponsible colleagues?
We believe church “courts” are usually biased, secretive and ineffective. (They are usually more about damage control than real justice.) Still, we hope Limburg diocesan officials succeed in Rome and go further in their push to make Tebartz-van Elst responsible for his extravagant selfishness.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
'Bishop of bling' sued by his former diocese for €3.9m after lavish refurbishment project
28 July 2015 20:02 by Christa Pongratz-Lippitt
The diocese of Limburg, whose former bishop resigned in 2013 after having spent more than €31m on redecorating the bishop’s residence, and who has often been dubbed the “Bishop of Bling”, plans to file a €3.9m claim for damages in a Vatican court against him.
The Limburg diocese is at the moment being . . .
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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