Media Statements

For Immediate Release: March 14, 2025

A man who was sexually abused as a child by the first Catholic priest to attract national media attention was beaten to death earlier this month. Our hearts ache for his family and loved ones in the wake of this tragic loss. We have only heard Scott Anthony Gastal's public story, but those who knew Scott personally realize that he was more than the worst thing that happened to him, and we hope that they will share that side of Scott in the coming days.

SNAP Louisiana leader, Letitia Peyton, called Scott’s murder was “a sad end to a life that was riddled with early childhood trauma.” But Letitia also credited Scott with “preventing so many other children from suffering the horrific abuse that he suffered,” and hailed him as “a truly brave little boy.”

Scott was repeatedly violated by Fr. Gilbert Gauthe. The priest was convicted in 1985 of abusing as many as 39 young children between 1972 and 1983. He spent 10 years in prison for those crimes. In 1997 he was convicted of abusing a 3 year old boy in Texas, where he now lives, and was sentenced to 7 months probation.

In 1986, at age 11, Scott courageously testified in open court that the priest had abused him so badly that he had to be hospitalized. Scott’s family ultimately won $1 million from the Diocese of Lafayette.

Sadly, the award did not end Scott’s suffering, which can be directly blamed on the Catholic officials who ignored, concealed, and enabled Fr. Gauthe’s horrific crimes.

For immediate release: March 13, 2025

Robert Morris, founding pastor of a megachurch in Southlake, Texas, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child yesterday. The indictment stems from accusations of child sexual abuse from the 1980s. Pastor Morris resigned from Gateway Church after the allegations became public last year.

SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is grateful for the persistence of the victim, Cindy Clemishire. We believe that her courageous actions will help to protect today’s children. This indictment shows that no one is beyond the law, not even a powerful, wealthy church leader.

Rome, Italy - The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) announces that key members of its leadership team are currently in Rome launching a rigorous review of cardinals considered contenders for the papacy. While in Rome, SNAP officials, alongside international coalition partners, researchers, and other experts, will focus on each candidate’s record in handling clergy sexual abuse cases—both in their home countries and within the Vatican hierarchy. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 02/27/2025 

The next pope must do what Francis refused: enact a universal zero tolerance law for abuse and cover-up

Sympathy for the pope must not mean ignoring his failure on abuse

Unlike Francis, Benedict XVI, and John Paul II, successor cannot have covered up sex crimes 

Summary 

• The next pope must institute a zero tolerance law for sexual abuse that immediately removes abusive clergy and leaders who have covered up abuse from ministry and mandates independent oversight of bishops. He must use his authority to enact fundamental, institutional changes to end the systematic practice of sexual abuse and its concealment.

• The next pope must not have any history of having covered up sexual abuse.
  

• Because of his history of covering up abuse in Argentina, Francis never possessed the necessary credibility to overhaul the Vatican’s management of sexual abuse cases.

• None of Francis’ reforms or initiatives have produced actual “zero tolerance” for abuse or ended the culture of extreme secrecy and control that enables it.

As Pope Francis lies in the hospital, potentially facing the end of his life, survivors around the world are mourning what they perceive as the "tragedy" of his papacy—a preventable catastrophe for the children and vulnerable people who were abused during his tenure.

Peter Isely, a founder and Chair of Global Advocacy of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said, "Francis began his papacy by promising us and the world that he would put an end to clergy abuse and cover-up. If we had known then what we know now—that he himself covered up sexual crimes in Argentina before becoming pope and that, for twelve years, he failed to use his authority to implement a universal zero-tolerance policy—we would have felt very differently."

For Immediate Release: February 13, 2025 

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark said on Monday that he had hired a law firm to conduct a “comprehensive third-party review” of a 2019 investigation into sexual abuse at Seton Hall University. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, calls the new investigation unnecessary. The group believes that it is nothing more than a tactic to delay the resolution of the issue of Monsignor Joseph Reilly’s appointment as President of Seton Hall. SNAP spoke out against the Monsignor’s appointment at the time, and asked for complete transparency. We still believe that this is the best way to resolve the controversy.

Although Monsignor Reilly was not himself accused of abuse, the 2019 investigation found that he knew about accusations of abuse on campus and did not report them as required. In reaction to the probe's findings, a "Responsive Action Plan" was developed, and a special task force was formed to carry out disciplinary actions. The task force recommended the Monsignor's removal from Seton Hall boards and leadership. The priest left the Board of Trustees and then stepped down as dean of the seminary. Less than three years after Monsignor Reilly was quietly sidelined, he was restored to active service, culminating in his elevation to the powerful position of University president.

New Jersey SNAP Leader, Mark Crawford wonders, “Why would we need an investigation of the original investigation?  Why would anyone believe this isn’t a cover up of the cover up?  Cardinal Tobin simply needs to release the original report to the public. Who would trust a report on the report?”

Victims upset that the franchise helped Catholic officials

They charge that the Saints' conduct was detrimental to survivors

The nation's leading support group for clergy sexual abuse victims says that top officials with the New Orleans Saints flaunted National Football League (NFL) goals by working with Catholic officials to hide predators, thus endangering children and further wounding abuse victims. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) wants the NFL to open an investigation into the Saint's actions.

The Saints are accused of colluding with the Archdiocese of New Orleans to modify the Archbishop’s list of abusers, pressure elected officials to turn a blind eye to the scandal, and to influence public opinion by putting pressure on media outlets to curtail their coverage. Drawn into this web of deceit are judges, lawyers and the ultra-rich. SNAP issued an earlier statement on the recent revelations about the disturbing involvement of the Saints in the Archdiocesan crisis.

Louisiana SNAP leader, Letitia Peyton, says in response to the news coverage, "The New Orleans Saints, the Catholic Church, and every institution wielding influence over our communities must do more than protect their own reputations. Prioritizing PR over survivors perpetuates harm."

In contrast, in response to the same media reports, NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, called the New Orleans Saints a "great corporate citizen."

For Immediate Release: February 5, 2025 

According to a new report, at least 17 former or current staff members at the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer (IHOP) including founder Mike Bickle, are accused of sexual crimes and misdeeds. For the safety of the public, we hope that the additional 16 names are soon made public as well.

We also hope that a similar investigation into accusations at an orphanage run by a Union MO-based non-profit, Ninos de Mexico, due out later this year, will be even more thorough and detailed than the IHOP probe.

The scathing report on IHOP describes “a longstanding culture of systemic abuse and cover-up” within the community that apparently goes much deeper than just the wrongdoing of a few officials at the top.

We hope that law enforcement officials, in Missouri and elsewhere, will digest and circulate the information in this report. We hope they will use every means possible to beg others with knowledge or suspicions of similar crimes and cover-ups to come forward, so that at least a few of these accused abusers may face justice in court.

We also applaud the courage of Deborah Perkins, Tammy Woods, Terry Hartley, the Jane and John Does, and each person who found the strength and courage to report the horrors they endured. Society owes them a debt of gratitude and they deserve to be praised and thanked for their bravery and compassion.

We also hope that a similar investigation into accusations of crimes at an orphanage run by the Union MO-based Ninos de Mexico, due out later this year, will be even more thorough and detailed than the IHOP probe.

For Immediate Release: February 5, 2025 

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Maryland upheld the constitutionality of a state law that ended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is ecstatic that the state’s highest court reached this decision.

Maryland SNAP leader David Lorenz called this ruling “a victory for survivors.” He continued, “They will finally get their chance at justice and being able to expose the predators that harmed them. The Catholic Church has not done that, and this law will allow that to happen."

For Immediate Release: February 5, 2025 

New Jersey's attorney general launched an investigation into abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in the state more than five years ago. However, court documents recently obtained by The Record and NorthJersey.com revealed that the Diocese of Camden succeeded in quashing a key part of the investigation at a secret hearing almost two years ago. Representatives from all five of the state’s Catholic dioceses attended that proceeding. The ruling has now been appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is outraged at this action by the New Jersey Catholic dioceses. As local SNAP leader Mark Crawford told Deena Yellin, the reporter who broke the story, “The bishops promised the public they would cooperate fully with the investigation, but meanwhile they secretly took this action to fight it."

For Immediate Release: February 3, 2025 

An in-depth report released today by Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Guardian and David Hammer of WWL Louisiana revealed that high-level executives with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints football team and the NBA’s Pelicans basketball team had a deeper role than previously known in connection with the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ list of “credibly accused” clergymen. SNAP is certainly not surprised by these revelations.

When powerful institutions get together to hide something, the weak and vulnerable are inevitably the ones who are harmed. The news that two professional sports teams coordinated with the Archdiocese of New Orleans to apparently hide the names of abusers should signal that the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church is more widespread and insidious than anyone could possibly imagine.