Tracking Violations of Article 3 of the Dallas Charter
This is a public call for all US-based victims/survivors who have signed any kind of agreement with the Catholic Church. If you have signed an agreement as part of a settlement or compensation program in the past, read below to learn more about the Silenced No More initiative and how you can help us hold the USCCB accountable.
Quick summary of the problem:
We are gathering information for an investigative report. Article 3 of the Dallas Charter says that victims are NOT to be silenced by the church, unless the victim requests the silencing. However, since 2002, many dioceses/epiarchies/religious orders have continued to allow non-disclosure agreements, non-disparaging agreements or other silencing language to be included in settlement against victim's wishes. This is a blatant violation of the Dallas Charter but it has not been detected or corrected in 18 years of USCCB audits of the dioceses/eparchies.
Here is the actual wording of Article 3 in the Dallas Charter: ARTICLE 3. Dioceses/eparchies are not to enter into settlements which bind the parties to confidentiality, unless the victim/survivor requests confidentiality and this request is noted in the text of the agreement.
For more information, please click here to go to their website, RemembertheSurvivors.com
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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