Media Statements
We are SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We are the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns and others).
Detroit Archbishop Elected as Vice-President of USCCB, SNAP Reacts
The head of the Archdiocese of Detroit has won the vice presidency of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. We are deeply disappointed at the message this choice sends to wounded victims and betrayed parishioners.
USA Today Investigation Reveals Dangers of Laicizing Abusers Without Oversight
A new investigation into Catholic clerics who have left or been expelled from the priesthood has confirmed many of our deepest fears about this scandal: that dangerous men are set loose upon unsuspecting communities, without oversight, allowing them to find jobs, positions, and homes near children and the vulnerable.
SNAP Disappointed that Kansas City Bishop Appointed as Head of Committee on Child Protection
We are deeply disappointed that the head of the Kansas City, Missouri diocese has won his bid to head a national panel on child sexual abuse. This choice will almost certainly maintain the troubling status quo and do little or nothing to stop abuse or cover ups.
Archbishop Jose Gomez Elected as New President of USCCB, SNAP Responds
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has elected a new president. We hope that Archbishop Jose Gomez will put ending clergy abuse cover-ups at the top of his do-to list upon taking office.
Survivors Lay Out Steps New USCCB President Can Take Immediately on Clergy Abuse
As US catholic officials are set to vote on new leadership, survivors of clergy abuse are hoping that this new leader will immediately take steps to improve how the body has addressed cases of clergy abuse and cover-up.
Mexican Summit Continues to Grapple With Harsh Realities of Sex Abuse Scandal, but Action is More Important than Words
We applaud Fr. Hans Zollner for his skill in articulating a major problem that exists within the Catholic church today: the referral of allegations of sex abuse by clerics to Catholic church lawyers, canonists and psychiatrists who then crush the victim and obscure the truth.
Australian Priest to be Extradited to UK for Abuse
Retired Priest Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse in Pittsburgh, SNAP Responds
A retired priest from the Diocese of Pittsburgh has been found guilty of sexually abusing a child in the early 2000s. We are grateful for the outcome of this case and hope it encourages other survivors to come forward and seek help and healing.
Survivors Win as New York Judge Rules in Favor of Preserving Anonymity, SNAP Reacts
A New York judge has ruled that alleged survivors of childhood sexual trauma can take legal action anonymously, like victims of other sex crimes have been able to do for decades. Jesuit officials in New York had hoped to force victims to disclose their identities when suing those who committed abuse against them or concealed that abuse.