LA- Catholic layman blows chance to expose bad bishops

For immediate release: Thursday, June 12, 2014

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314-503-0003, [email protected])

It's said that the layman who heads the bishops hand-picked abuse panel apparently believes that his vague, mini-sermon today to America's bishops might do something.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/bishops-talk-sex-abuse-complacency-not-accountability-annual-meeting 

This panel, the National Review Board, was never a watchdog. And it quickly became a lap dog. Once filled with people who had independent jobs, it's now largely stacked with people who depend on the church for paychecks (directly and indirectly). Once filled with high profile, somewhat outspoken people, it's now filled with low profile and completely silent people. Once filled with somewhat savvy realists, it's now largely filled with mostly naive optimists.

Reform of the Catholic hierarchy's response to clergy abuse and cover ups, if it ever happens, will come thanks to external sources, not internal sources, and thanks to  victims, police, prosecutors, journalists and advocates, and in spite of bishops and their carefully-chosen and cowardly appointees.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 18,000 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]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-474, [email protected])