MA--Another MA predator priest case settles

For immediate release: Tuesday, March 29

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])

Catholic officials are disclosing that a clergy sex abuse and cover up case has settled. We hope that this resolution will prod others with information or suspicions about child sex crimes by Fr. Paul J. Archambault to come forward and get help from independent sources.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/roman_catholic_diocese_of_spri_15.html   

He is the 48^th publicly accused child molesting cleric in the relatively small Springfield diocese. (BishopAccountability.org)

We are grateful that Bishop Mitchell Rozanski took the initiative to announce the settlement. His colleague - Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley – often refuses to do this, and refused to do so yesterday in several cases.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ma_more_boston_predator_priest_cases_settle_victims_respond

At the same time, however, we’re disappointed that Bishop Rozanski lists so few proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics on his website. And we’re disappointed the bishop uses lines and language designed to distance himself from this predator and that reveal more about the victim than he should (like disclosing that “Fr. Archambault knew the victim’s family personally for many years before ordination”). There’s nothing to be gained, save a little public relations advantage, by revealing such information.

We hope this settlement will bring some comfort and closure to the brave young man who had the wisdom to understand he’d been hurt, the courage to speak up, and the strength to seek justice in the courts. We commend him for his bravery and are confident he has done the right thing and will inspire others who are suffering to come forward.

We urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Catholic churches or institutions – especially in Springfield – to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling journalists, get justice by calling attorneys, and get comfort by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 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 (312-399-4747, [email protected])