Late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua Accused of Sex Assault In New Lawsuit
For immediate release, September 7, 2018
Statement by Tim Lennon, SNAP President, 415-312-5820, [email protected]
The late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua has been accused by a woman of molesting her when she was a child. The cardinal had a long history serving in Pennsylvania, first as Bishop of Pittsburgh and then as Archbishop, and later Cardinal, of Philadelphia. He died in 2012.
No one should be shocked when a bishop or cardinal is accused of abuse. After all, these men come from the ranks of priests, where studies have shown that almost ten percent prey on children.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/bishops/accused/global_list_of_accused_bishops.htm
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/data.htm
Often, the most prestigious and powerful are among the last to be exposed as wrongdoers. Many times, survivors of prominent clerics are reluctant to come forward, fearing they won't be believed.
We have no first-hand information about the allegations. However, studies have shown that false allegations of sexual abuse are extremely rare.
Anyone with information about criminal behavior, including allegations against high ranking Church officials like Cardinal Bevilacqua, should report to law enforcement. Those who have been abused can also reach out to groups like ours for help and support.
The Pennsylvania Hotline continues to take calls: 855-363-6548
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been working for thirty years to support victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings and has more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Judy Jones, (636-433-2511, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected])
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