Fr. Manuel LaRosa-Lopez Heads to Court and SNAP asks Cardinal DiNardo to be Considerate of Victims
On Tuesday, an accused predator priest will be in court again, facing charges that he abused at least two children while serving in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (with another survivor having recently come forward, but not yet filed charges). But before Fr. Manuel LaRosa-Lopez returns to court, we call on Houston’s top Catholic official to take steps to avoid potentially intimidating or hurting more victims.
We know from years of personal experience that it can intimidate and hurt victims when alleged child molesting clerics wear their Roman collar in court. So Cardinal Daniel DiNardo should forbid Fr. LaRosa-Lopez from doing so.
We also know that it intimidates and hurts victims when well-meaning but misguided parishioners rally in public around accused abusers. So DiNardo should instruct his flock to stay home, remain open-minded and avoid making public statements that might scare or depress victims, witnesses and whistleblowers into staying silent.
When alleged pedophile priests are being prosecuted or sued, bishops often pretend to be powerless. But someone as powerful as Cardinal DiNardo could and should take these two simple but important steps immediately to prevent more pain and to help law enforcement officials do their job without interference.
CONTACT: Michael D. Norris, SNAP Houston ([email protected], 713-855-9178), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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