Judge’s Recusal in New Orleans is an Example Church Officials Should Follow
A federal judge in Louisiana has recused herself from a case involving sex abuse and the local Archdiocese due to her previous ties to the institution. This is the correct move and we praise the judge for her integrity. Now it is time for Catholic officials to display similar values.
The recusal of federal judge Wendy Vitter draws attention to just how well connected the Archdiocese of New Orleans is to state and federal law enforcement. We hope that others who have similar connections to the archdiocese will follow Judge Vitter’s lead and recuse themselves as well.
More importantly, we believe that Catholic officials should take inspiration from Judge Vitter’s integrity and also be transparent and open with the public. Because survivors of sexual abuse are at the center of this preemptive bankruptcy filing by the Archdiocese, we believe it should provide a transparent history of abuse and its efforts to cover up and minimize those crimes. That transparency should include emails from the New Orleans Saints, other donors, and actions by Judge Vitter and her former law firm when she represented the archdiocese.
When facts about clergy abuse and cover-ups are made public, children are better protected and survivors can be encouraged to come forward. We call on Catholic officials in New Orleans to be as transparent as Judge Vitter and come clean about their history with clergy abuse.
CONTACT: Kevin Bourgeois, SNAP New Orleans ([email protected], 504-376-5445), Richard Windmann, SNAP Louisiana ([email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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