Media Statements

(For Immediate Release November 23, 2022) 

A group named in a report detailing sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests is asking a Baltimore judge to seal all court proceedings in the Maryland attorney general’s efforts to make the report public. The group, whose name and number are unknown, made the request last Thursday, according to a court filing. In the filing, attorneys for the group said that although the people are named in the attorney general’s report, they are not accused of sexual abuse.

The anonymous group is represented by attorneys Gregg Bernstein and William J. Murphy of the Zuckerman Spaeder law firm, who will only identify their clients in a private hearing. In 2018 and 2019, Archbishop William Lori appointed Gregg Bernstein, Esq. to a team that investigated sexual misconduct allegations made against former Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, diocese Bishop Michael Bransfield. Lori, then Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, went all the way to the United States Supreme Court in 2009 to keep sealed documents on clergy sex abuse and lost that fight.

It's not shocking to us at all to learn that an ‘anonymous group’ then, is attempting to prevent the release of a report detailing sexual abuse by the clergy in Maryland. For decades, the Roman Catholic Church has gone to great lengths to completely disregard, conceal, and minimize rampant sexual abuse and rape of children worldwide. When it comes to clergy sexual abuse, the Catholic Church's playbook has been to fight, deny, and delay.

(For Immediate Release November 21, 2022) 

Fr. Lawrence Kozak, a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was removed from his position as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, last week. Parishioners were notified of this development this past weekend in a bulletin announcement written by Deacon Timothy Murphy, who works for the church.

Providing pertinent information about the reasons behind the removal, Bishop John McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, also spoke to parishioners during the weekend Sunday services. Bishop McIntyre stated that Fr. Kozak was placed on administrative leave by Archbishop Nelson Pérez, and that this action was taken due to serious concerns about the priest's suitability for ministry because of his mismanagement of parish finances. Bishop McIntyre told parishioners that thousands of charges by Fr. Kozak on the church's credit card were for online gaming, online gambling, video streaming services, and other personal expenses. The priest was the only authorized user of this card. These purchases were a violation of Archdiocesan financial procedures and have been reported to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office for investigation.

This situation reminds SNAP of a similar case from a neighboring parish.  In September of 2021, Msgr. Joseph McLoone pleaded guilty to improperly taking $30,892.50 from his church’s All Souls’ Day contributions, priestly stipends, and a secret parish account to which only he had access. Part of the money he stole was used to send money to adult men with whom he was involved in "consensual relationships," albeit sexual.

We believe that the unsuspecting parishioners of St. Thomas More deserve to know exactly how much money was stolen from them, exactly where those monies went, and exactly what their priest was doing while he worked at their church. We hope that the faithful will pressure the Archdiocese to provide them with a complete and transparent report at the conclusion of both inquiries, the one by law enforcement and the one by the Church. Furthermore, we believe that Catholic officials should provide more information on what video streaming services and personal expenses were involved. As in the case of Msgr. McLoone, those unauthorized expenses may indicate a personnel problem that goes beyond the misappropriation of parish funds.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, Philadelphia (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President  (814-341-8386, [email protected])  

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is www.snapnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release) 

'Recently, I asked the Vatican for relief from my obligations as a priest and permission to return to the lay state. In whatever time I have left on this Earth, I hope to be able to serve God and the people of our community as a lay person. I also will continue to vigorously defend myself against the allegations against me. Resolution of these civil cases takes a very long time. I hope and pray I will live long enough to see my name cleared once and for all.' (Statement of Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard)

We at SNAP see it quite differently. Clearly, Hubbard thinks very highly of himself. It takes gall and probably the diagnosis of a personality disorder for him to ask to be defrocked, and on the other hand, claims his innocence. He is a dangerous man who holds many, many secrets. For 37 years, he exercised complete, unaccountable, and unmonitored power over a diocese. A sort of religious dictator, as all bishops are. 

We see this ‘request to be removed from the status of clergy’ gambit as just another way to hide secrets and deceive the public. He was a visible prelate in the Catholic Church in the United States and around the world. Whether he is defrocked or not, he should be monitored in the same way that defrocked ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is. It's not lost on us that McCarrick denies any wrongdoing, even though he's been accused by several credible victims.

There are numerous reports of "retired" priests abusing children. Hernan Toro of San Jose destroyed the lives of two young girls when he was 85 years old, roughly the same age as Bishop Hubbard. When Hubbard says he is "fully retired from ministry," no one should be complacent. He is facing seven allegations, and those are almost certainly only a small segment of the children he abused. Based on the claims that have already been made public, he has a voracious sexual appetite that he has hidden behind the masks of being "progressive" and a "street priest." The "Boy Bishop" is a child abuser.

It is astonishing to us the depth of selfishness cowards run to when their back is in the corner. We don’t believe for one second that Hubbard prays for longevity. We also cannot help but think of the countless number of victims who’d like relief or to retire and have closure from their lifetime of pain and suffering. Sadly, those who have endured the most harm will never be able to resign from that weight. In our opinion, cowards run from the truth, survivors own it. We thank the men who have come forward to expose this powerful, secretive, and dangerous man. Bishop Hubbard is still alive, and those revelations, by the courageous, have made Albany's Catholic community feel a little more secure.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected] 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386 [email protected])

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release November 18, 2022) 

The Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has filed a settlement plan today in a bankruptcy case involving at least 55 people who accused priests of sexual abuse.  This would bring the total trust amount to $18.25 million. We hope that this process has brought healing to these survivors and call on church officials from Harrisburg to release information to their parishioners and the public regarding abusers and enablers identified throughout the bankruptcy process.

We are grateful to the survivors of sexual abuse from the Diocese of Harrisburg and the Tort Committee who stood up for survivors' rights and for all victims. It is important to note that, while the settlement is justly deserved by those who have suffered decades in silence, in the grand scheme of things it is but a drop in the bucket given the wealth of the church. No amount of money can make up for the lifetime of trauma that results from sexual abuse. Furthermore, we know these tactics are designed to maintain an appearance of help for survivors, and yet it still comes without effective action from church officials.

If church officials in Harrisburg truly want to help survivors and create safer environments within their diocese, they must be transparent with their communities. They should immediately update their list of abusers to include the new names identified throughout the bankruptcy process and should then use every resource at their disposal to ensure parishioners and parents at each location where an abuser worked have been notified. Similarly, they should be turning over all information regarding sex crimes, regardless of the status of the abuser, to local law enforcement.

We know that no institution can police itself and so we hope that police and prosecutors in Pennsylvania are looking long and hard to find creative pathways toward justice for survivors and to prevent more cases of abuse in the future. A critical step in preventing abuse is ensuring that those who covered up and enabled abuse are prosecuted.

 CONTACT: Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386 [email protected]) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected] 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) 

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release November 17, 2022)

A four-year long investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Maryland has revealed that hundreds of children were sexually abused for years by priests assigned to the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the church actively helped to cover up many of the abuses, according to leaked details from a sealed report authored by the Maryland Attorney General.

While the report found more than 600 victims, there are “almost certainly” hundreds more, according to a motion filed Thursday in Baltimore Circuit Court by attorneys in the office of Attorney General Brian Frosh. Additionally, at least 158 Catholic priests have been accused of sexual abuse, including 43 priests whom the archdiocese never publicly identified.

Attorney General Brian Frosh has filed a motion to unseal the grand jury report and release it to the public, warning that the report will detail horrific crimes and callous disregard for the safety of innocent children. However, knowledge of past crimes is only valuable if used to prevent future sexual abuse and cover-ups.

We challenge Baltimore Archbishop Lori and other church officials to do more than say they are open and transparent; we want them to start doing it. It would be a dagger to victims should the Archdiocese petition to block a release, and so we call on church officials to work with A.G. Frosh, not against him and ensure that this report is released to the public.

Maryland SNAP Leader David Lorenz said, “This news of the report and the numbers of victims is absolutely horrendous.  We feel for every victim who has suffered. Once again, the church has lied about the number of abusive priests. Many parishes were dumping grounds for predators, some housed almost ten. It is very clear that nobody was safe. Sadly, it is no different than any diocese or secular report in the country.”

For immediate release: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has chosen its new leader, and now survivors of clergy abuse are calling on him to immediately take steps to address the ongoing scourge of clergy abuse and cover-up.

Following a vote this afternoon, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, U.S. Military Forces, is their new president. Archbishop Broglio leads one of the three archdioceses that hasn't published a list of credibly accused clergy, deacons, nuns, and laity. This sends the message that the transparency promised in the charter is no longer a priority for the church. This new leader succeeds Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, a prelate who did next to nothing during his tenure to address the ongoing clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. When elected, Gomez took over for Cardinal Daniel Dinardo, a prelate who was actively involved in the cover-up of clergy sex crimes in at least two dioceses, Sioux City and Galveston-Houston. Given the recent history of USCCB leadership, we hope beyond hope that this new president will break from the trend set by his predecessors and actually address this ongoing scourge as opposed to ignoring it.

This year, the USCCB chose to address the issue of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy by once again apologizing while also patting themselves on the back for producing a toothless document in 2002that they believe has solved the sex abuse scandal. Yet ongoing arrests for abuse occurring after 2002 and attorneys general reports belie this claim, and the upcoming release of reports from attorneys general in states like Maryland and Illinois will, we expect, include more examples of abuse occurring after the promulgation of the Dallas Charter.

“I don’t want an apology, prayers, or remorse. None of those three things will protect children.,” said Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Member and volunteer leader in the Washington D.C. and Virginia areas. “I want change.”

Specifically, SNAP is calling for Broglio to take three specific actions:

• Pledge to stop using church funds to lobby against legislation that will make children safer. In 2019, the Church spent upwards of $10 million to lobby against legislation that would open up the courts for survivors to file suits that would expose abusers and their enablers, as well as to push back against making clergy-mandated reporters of sexual abuse. This must end.
• Publicly call out those remaining prelates who have refused to release lists of accused priests and set a standard for the current lists that exist. Three Archdioceses – Military Services, Miami, and San Francisco, along with more than a dozen other dioceses have so far refused to release the names of clergy and staffers who have been credibly accused of abuse. We believe that the new president requires each diocese to release these lists immediately, and also insist that dioceses that have already released lists should ensure that there is enough information to make these lists useful by requiring that each list include the full work history, photograph, and details regarding when allegations were first reported for each abuser listed.
• Institute new monitoring protocols for priests, brothers, nuns, deacons, seminarians, and other church staff or volunteers who have been laicized or who left their positions due to allegations of abuse. An earlier investigation by the AP in found that many of the priests who have been accused of abuse within the church and then left the Church have gone on to secure positions in other institutions that would allow them access to children. The new president should immediately invest in a permanent monitoring and tracking system that can help ensure these dangerous men and women do not simply move on to abuse children elsewhere.

“For years, survivors have been pleading with church leaders to do more to address sexual abuse, and for years we have been ignored,” said Dave Lorenz, SNAP Volunteer Leader for Maryland. “Instead of applauding themselves for something they did 20 years ago, church leaders should be trying to build on that work now. They can start by following these three suggestions.”

CONTACT: Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Member (703-801-6044, [email protected]), Dave Lorenz, SNAP Maryland ([email protected], 301-906-9161), Mike McDonnell, Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])

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(For Immediate Release November 14, 2022)

A Diocese of Pittsburgh priest was found not guilty of aggravated indecent assault against a minor with related charges. Jurors returned the verdict today in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Fr. Robert Joseph Cedolia was placed on administrative leave in 2019 after an allegation was made against him through the Reconciliation and Compensation Program for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. According to diocesan records, Fr. Cedolia was working at Our Lady of Joy in Plum, Pennsylvania, at the time of the accusation.

These allegations stem from two sexual assaults committed in 1998. Unfortunately, the incident is said to have occurred while the young child was attending First Communion training. For us, using the sacrament as a weapon adds to the terrifying trauma of this crime.

It is shocking that jurors found Cedolia not guilty of these crimes despite the great work of the prosecutors.  We applaud and stand firmly in the belief of the victim in this case who bravely shared his truth while taking the stand. We are deeply grateful that he had the courage and strength to expose the allegations in a trial. While this may feel like a betrayal again at this point, we believe that over time, he will be proud of what he has achieved.

Regardless of what jurors, legislators, and church officials do or don't do, we stand behind all who have seen, suspected, or suffered child sex crimes or cover-ups in Catholic churches and institutions. In the meantime, call the police and ask for help to protect your child. Call a therapist, call law enforcement to find a wrongdoer, or contact a support group like ours to find solace. This way, children are safer, adults are rehabilitated, criminals are prosecuted, cover-ups are deterred, and the truth is revealed.

Our thoughts are with this victim, and his strength inspires us. We encourage anyone who may have experienced, witnessed, or suspected sexual abuse by Fr. Cedolia to report it immediately to law enforcement.

CONTACT:  Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected],  267.261.0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517.974.9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

(For Immediate Release November 10, 2022)

David Marcotte, an Indianapolis Catholic priest who was suspended in February 2019 amid allegations of sexual abuse involving a minor, agreed to plead guilty to one charge filed against him in March 2022. Marcotte, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a level 6 felony, according to the Hamilton Superior Court plea agreement.

As reported by WRTV News, a judge sentenced suspended Indianapolis priest David Marcotte to a year in home detention on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, as part of a plea agreement that concludes his trial on allegations of sexual abuse of a teenage boy six years ago. Judge Jonathan M. Brown addressed the victim's distraught parents during a hearing in Hamilton Superior Court as he accepted a plea agreement, which they both implored him to reject.

We first want to applaud and acknowledge the brave victim and his family in this case. It takes a lot of strength and courage to come forward, especially at a young age. We echo the sentiments of the victim’s impact statement which in part said, ‘This entire legal experience has been all the dis-illusionment a child (and) young man could ever ask for," the victim said in his letter. "Reliving this experience through the lens of Indiana and Hamilton County law has been salt to an unstitched wound." We cannot help but feel that charges of this magnitude deserved a much stronger sentence and less from the mouth of a predator. We too feel this is a miscarriage of justice.

According to the plea deal, Marcotte must serve another 18 months on probation after completing his year of home detention. A two-and-a-half-year prison sentence was also suspended by the judge. Marcotte avoids prison and does not have to register as a sex offender because of the agreement.

According to a spokesman for the archdiocese, Marcotte is still suspended from the ministry. The archdiocese's spokesman declined to comment on whether Marcotte would be allowed to return to the priesthood. It is astonishing to us that church officials would even entertain employment as a priest or any other role for Marcotte. Letting the wolf back into the pasture would lead to another tragedy.

This case is yet another example that Catholic officials, who insist that the sexual abuse scandal is 'in the past,' are simply wrong. Marcotte was only ordained in 2014 and is still very young. We find it hard to believe that prayers, penance, home detention, and a few visits from probation will stop his criminal compulsions. 

Across the country, an average of two clerics are charged each month with crimes against children or targeted adults. We urge Catholic officials in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to begin the process of removing Marcotte from the clerical state, which would be taking initiative and showing some responsibility for employing this perpetrator.  We also feel that church officials have an obligation to share where Marcotte will be living during his home detention and if the Diocese will be responsible for his expenses during this time.  Moral responsibility demands nothing less.

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267) 261-0578 Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release November 8, 2022) 

Authorities said Tuesday that a grand jury indicted a former Roman Catholic priest from Massachusetts on charges of forcible child rape, indecent assault and battery, and forcible child rape.

Monsignor Francis Strahan, 89, was indicted on one count of Rape of a Child by Force and three counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 in a joint statement issued Tuesday morning by District Attorney Marian Ryan and Framingham Chief of Police Lester Baker. The charges stemmed from an alleged sexual assault of a male student at Saint Bridget's School in Framingham on two separate occasions, according to their statement. DA Ryan stated that the victim was between the ages of 11 and 13 at the time and was an altar server while Strahan was the Pastor of Saint Bridget's Parish from 2004 to 2008.

The case against Strahan would no doubt never have been investigated if it were not for the brave victim who spoke to law enforcement. We applaud the victim’s courage and tenacity in using their voice to draw attention to a dangerous situation. Were it not for them, we worry that this abuser would have escaped justice.

Now that Strahan has been formally indicted, we urge Cardinal O'Malley to go above and beyond in reaching out to anyone who may have suffered, witnessed, or suspected abuse at the hands of the priest. The diocesan website, parish bulletins, and pulpit announcements should all be employed by church officials. The Cardinal should also go to every parish where Msgr. Strahan worked hard to inform parents and parishioners, and to encourage victims to come forward and seek help.

By our count, Strahan joins an average of two Catholic priests or staffers arrested each month this year on charges involving the abuse or exploitation of a minor. Clearly, sexual abuse is not a thing of the past, as Church officials frequently claim. If this scandal is ever resolved, it will be due to secular intervention combined with active parishioners speaking up about wrongdoing and standing up to institutional indifference. We hope that this story will resonate with parishioners across the country, inspiring them to be vigilant and vocal. 

Above all, we hope that a conviction, in this case, will give future survivors the confidence to come forward and denounce crimes, no matter how distant in the past they may have occurred. We also hope that anyone who witnessed or suspected sexual abuse will come forward and make a report to law enforcement.

 CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, Communication Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]  Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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(For Immediate Release November 8, 2022)

During its annual meeting in Lourdes, the Bishops' Conference of France admitted that 11 current or former bishops are facing accusations of sexual misconduct in civil or religious courts. The statement (with few names)  was released during a press conference on November 8 by Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, the president of the Conference.  

Moulins-Beaufort read a letter in which one of the accused, now cardinal Ricard, admits to "reprehensible" behavior with a fourteen-year-old girl when he was a priest 35 years ago. Leaving aside the fact that this admission comes safely after the statutes of limitation have run out there is no indication as to the nature of the "reprehensible" behavior.  Still, given the  Church's frequent use of euphemisms to describe appalling crimes one can assume the worst.

In another case, Bishop Michel Santier was condemned by the Vatican in 2021 for "spiritual abuses leading to voyeuristic acts involving two adult males".  Given the media's squeamishness, it takes a little bit of digging to find out that Santier had invented a game of "strip confession": you take one piece of clothing off for each confessed sin.  Give them credit for their creative depravity.

The Church could also get credit for the highly unusual step of coming forward with such revelations.   Yes, there is an effort at transparency, but one wonders if such an unusual move is not an attempt at pre-empting revelations that would eventually "drip out" and cause more harm in the long run.   

These revelations have caused consternation in French society and among survivors even though they have seen it all and are not really surprised.  Still, Francois Devaux, a leading survivor could not contain his rage when interviewed on national radio: "When an institution commits crimes on a massive scale in a systemic manner, particularly against children,  there are only two possible outcomes: either it reforms itself or it is disbanded."  He adds that this is a "collapse of Catholicism's original message".    Your Europe correspondent feels the same way and could not have said it better or more forcefully. 

Marc Artzrouni

SNAP Europe

	Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Marc Artzrouni, Europe Coordinator  [email protected]  tel: +33 (0)6 95 73 65 92 (France)  www.snapnetworg.org