SNAP Media Events

Victims to Pope: “Stop bishops’ lobbying”

SNAP: “Prelates fight secular child safety bills”

Battles are now being waged in each place Francis visits

“Church uses flock’s donations to protect predators,” group says

It begs church-goers: “Donate elsewhere until real change happens”

SNAP: “As Francis ‘talks nice’ with lawmakers, bishops ‘quietly fight dirty’”

What:

Holding signs and childhood photos, while Francis meets with politicians in DC, clergy sex abuse victims will hand fliers to church-goers. They will also

--urge Francis to make bishops stop blocking secular child safety law reforms,

--urge lawmakers (federal and state) to ignore bishops’ “self-serving” lobbying efforts, and

--urge Catholics to donate elsewhere until their church officials push for, not against, better laws that protect kids, expose predators and punish enablers.

Such legislative struggles are pending in each place Francis will visit: New York, Pennsylvania and DC.

As pope arrives, group to hold small vigil

 They remember victims who committed suicide

 SNAP: “Many who’ve been assaulted are hurting now”

 Organization says papal visit “provokes pain in hundreds”

 It urges victims to “reach out, get therapy, call loved ones”

What:

Holding signs and childhood photos of suicide victims at a sidewalk vigil, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will

--remember and honor adults who were molested as kids and took their own lives, and

--express support and concern for other victims who are suffering because of Pope Francis’s visit and the laudatory attention the Catholic hierarchy is enjoying.

First-ever NYC “public support group meeting”

Event held in conjunction with survivors’ art show

SNAP has held thousands of such events in private

But this time, victims will share details in open setting

What:

On the day Pope Francis arrives in the US, while surrounded by an exhibit of abuse-inspired paintings created by a young woman who suffered clergy sexual crimes, a group of clergy sex abuse victims will hold an unusual public support group meeting. In frank and personal discussions, they’ll describe the pain they endured (and still endure) because of clerics who committed and concealed sexual violence against them.

Pope must stop predators moving overseas

SNAP: “Take passports from accused clerics”

More alleged molesters flee abroad, group says

But church officials often claim to be powerless

One “outed” last month as having worked in MD, VA & NJ

He claims two fellow diocesan staffers told him “get on a plane”

What:

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, and citing three journalistic investigations, clergy sex abuse victims will call on

--US bishops to stop predator priests from evading justice by fleeing abroad and keep them from working in parishes, and

--Pope Francis to harshly punish bishops (including one in Newark and several in South America) who enable this “reckless practice” to continue.

Victims to leaflet at Catholic church

They challenge pope to demote bishops

SNAP: “Church officials refuse to do aggressive outreach”

So group asks parishioners to “search for wounded survivors”

“Pope talks about families while abuse crisis devastates them,” SNAP says

What:

On the cusp of Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to the US, as parishioners leave mass, abuse victims will hand out fliers to church goers. The leaflets urge Pennsylvania Catholic officials to

Victims to leaflet at Catholic church

They challenge pope to demote bishops

SNAP: “Church officials refuse to do aggressive outreach”

So group asks parishioners to “search for wounded survivors”

“Post names of proven predators on church websites,” victims say

What:

On the cusp of Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to the US, as parishioners leave mass, abuse victims will hand out fliers urging church goers. The leaflets urges Archbishop Donald Wuerl to:

They prod Archbishop to disclose more info

“Post predator priests on websites,” they urge

“List should be permanent and kept current,” groups say

Activists want details more details about alleged murder of nun

WHAT

On the cusp of Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to the US, holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, victims and supporters will urge Baltimore Catholic officials to

--disclose the names of other proven, admitted or credibly accused predators,

--permanently post church predators’ names on church websites and in church bulletins (like 30 US bishops have done), and

--“come clean” with more information on a nun’s unsolved murder.

The fliers also urge Catholic church members to

--question loved ones about these child molesting clerics (“Did any of these clerics ever hurt you?”) and

--prod anyone who has “seen, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes of cover ups to call law enforcement.”   

Victims to leaflet at Catholic church

They challenge pope to demote bishops

SNAP: “Church officials refuse to do aggressive outreach”

So group asks parishioners to “search for wounded survivors”

“Post names of proven predators on church websites,” victims say

What:

On the cusp of Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to the US, abuse victims will hand out leaflets exposing the names of 37 publicly accused child molesting Catholic clerics in the Seattle archdiocese, and demand that Archbishop Peter Sartain:

--disclose the names of other proven, admitted or credibly accused predators, and

--post all church predators’ names on his diocesan website and in church bulletins (like 30 US bishops have done).

The fliers also urge Catholic church members to

--question loved ones about these child molesting clerics (“Did any of these clerics ever hurt you?”) and

--prod anyone who has “seen, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes of cover ups to call law enforcement.”