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).
Survivors challenge Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone's need to resort to bankruptcy
For Immediate Release, November 1, 2023
Survivors and advocates have written to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, asking him to reconsider bankruptcy. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, has researched the real estate portfolio of the Archdiocese, and believes that it has ample non-essential assets to care for those survivors who filed lawsuits in the recently closed civil window without resorting to this extreme measure.
A copy of the letter sent earlier today by email is linked below, as are the attachments to the letter.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Board of Directors Treasurer ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Joey Piscitelli, SNAP Northern California ([email protected], 925-262-3699), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board of Directors President ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Letter to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone 11-1-2023
SFAD Real Estate Schedule of Values - Unaudited
Former Connecticut State Representative reports sexual, psychological, and physical abuse by two Greek Orthodox bishops
He also accuses one of the hierarchs of financial improprieties
For immediate release: November 1, 2023
John Metsopoulos is coming forward to report sexual harassment, as well as physical and psychological abuse, by Metropolitan Athenagoras Aneste (George Angelo Aneste), Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Mexico and Central America. John also accuses Metropolitan Athenagoras of financial improprieties. In addition, John accuses the now deceased Metropolitan of Chicago, Iakovos Garmatis (Michael Garmatis) of sexually assaulting him when he was a child in Connecticut. The accusations against Metropolitan Athenagoras occurred from 2017-2019, and the abuse by Metropolitan Garmatis in 1970. Parts of this outcry have been up on the SNAP website for almost a year.
Independent commission estimates that there are more than 400,000 victims of abuse within the Catholic Church in Spain; SNAP urges governmental action
For Immediate Release: October 27, 2023
In March 2022, Spain's parliament overwhelmingly approved the creation of an independent commission to investigate accusations of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. At a news conference called today to present the findings of that report, the country's national ombudsman estimated that more than 400,000 children have been sexually assaulted in the Catholic Church in Spain since 1940, more than 200,000 by clergy. The commission was also critical of the Church, calling its response to cases of child abuse involving the clergy “insufficient,” and recommended the creation of a state fund to pay reparations to survivors.
Once again, an independent investigation has examined the response of the Catholic Church to accusations of child sex abuse and found that response woefully inadequate. We believe that this again illustrates that the Catholic abuse scandal, the result of unconscionable decisions made by those in positions of leadership, cannot be resolved within the Church. The Spanish government must step in and not only manage any reparations but also begin regulating the Catholic Church. In fact, every nation in the world should start to assess how it can supervise a religion that has failed to monitor itself, and that apparently values their clergy, its secrets, and its assets over the lives of innocent children. We applaud the brave victims who came forward to share their tragic experiences with the commission. They join a huge network of survivors who are trying to protect others from similar atrocities.
Every week more Catholic priests are arrested or outed as perpetrators. And it seems like every week, we learn that clergy accused of child sexual abuse are allowed to remain in ministry. As investigation after investigation piles up, we see more and more the failure of Church leadership - cardinals, bishops, high-level chancery members -- to protect defenseless boys and girls. The rot appears to go all the way to the top in every diocese and religious order in the world.It is long past time for "God's house" to be washed clean.
CONTACT: Marc Artzrouni, SNAP Europe, ([email protected], +33 - 6 95 73 65 92), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director (267-261-0578 [email protected]), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President (814-341-8386, [email protected])
Fr. Marko Rupnik incardinated; survivors group labels this "madness"
CONTACT: Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board of Directors President ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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Philadelphia priest pleads guilty to sexually abusing 13-year-old altar server, victim calls the abuse a “nightmare”
CONTACT: Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board of Directors President ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
SNAP Applauds Brave Victim in Recent Settlement
(For Immediate Release October 13, 2023)
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board of Directors President ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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SNAP applauds the three brave victims in a new class action lawsuit against the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington DC
SNAP applauds the three brave victims in a new class action lawsuit against the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington DC
(For Immediate Release October 2, 2023)
A class action lawsuit was filed jointly today by the law firms of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. and Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland against the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington DC. These two leading civil litigations firms were able to proceed with this action because the Maryland Child Victims Act went into effect on October 1st.
SNAP is grateful to the attorneys for moving forward with this case, which features the testimonies of three adults abused as children in the Archdiocese. We are in awe of the bravery of these survivors in speaking out and sharing their individual stories, despite having suffered a wide variety of serious physical, emotional, and financial injuries.
The lawsuit accuses the Archdiocese of engaging in a pattern of conduct that permitted Catholic boys and girls in its churches and school to suffer sexual abuse for decades. The Archdiocese has acknowledged having 34 “credibly accused” clergy. Bishop-Accountability.org, the independent watchdog group that has been tracking the Catholic abuse scandal for 20 years, puts the number of abusers in Washington DC at 45.
Based on our information and experience, we believe that despite the 2002 promise of openness and transparency by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, that much information about these crimes remains hidden. We hope this civil action will help shine a light into those dark places in this Archdiocese.
We also hope that victims who have been suffering alone and in silence will find courage from the stories set forth in the complaint to speak out themselves. There are people who will believe them and support them.
CONTACT: David Lorenz, SNAP Maryland leader ([email protected], 301-906-9161), Becky Ianni, Virginia and DC SNAP leader ([email protected], (703) 801-6044) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director [email protected], 267-261-0578) 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)
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SNAP stands in solidarity with ECA: Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández must go
For immediate release: September 29, 2023
At a press conference yesterday, End Clergy Abuse (ECA) and clergy abuse survivors and advocates representing 25 countries from around the world called on Pope Francis to remove Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández as head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and to rescind his elevation to Cardinal. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, joins our allies at ECA in their call for the Pope to rescind the appointment and elevation of Archbishop Fernández.
Among the responsibilities of the the DDF is the handling of sexual abuse accusations brought against clergy. In fact, this responsibility constitutes 80% of its work. Yet earlier this year, Archbishop Fernández admitted that he made "mistakes" in handling a 2019 case of a priest accused of sexually abusing children. On this basis, we too urgently call for Pope Francis to replace the Archbishop on the DDF, and to reconsider his selection as Cardinal.
Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans “lost” abuse records; SNAP wonders what it will take to make the faithful demand accountability
For Immediate Release: September 28, 2023
On Tuesday, a news article provided the public with additional information about “lost” reports of child sexual abuse made to the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by priests, cannot help but wonder how many other complaints are “missing,” and if any of those accused are still in ministry?
The Archdiocese claims that it has no records of reports of child sexual abuse against Deacon Virgil Maxey “VM” Wheeler III, from 2002. According to the article, the mother of Mac McCall told Archbishop Philip Hannan that year that Wheeler had tried to get Mac’s older brother into bed with him during a ski trip to Utah. Knowing that Wheeler wanted to become a Deacon, she also reported to the head of the Archdiocese’s diaconate program at the time, Jim Swiler.
Wheeler, who was ordained in 2018 and died earlier this year, was charged with the rape of Mac and arrested in March of 2021. The Deacon pleaded guilty in December of the following year to a lesser crime, and was sentenced to probation and sex offender registration.
It stretches credulity to believe that the Archdiocese has no record of either the report to Archbishop Hannan or Swiler. Because of this, Wheeler was later allowed to enter the diaconate program and was ordained by the current Archbishop, Gregory Aymond. We also note that it took two reports to Archbishop Aymond about Wheeler, one in 2018 and the second in 2020, for this dangerous man to finally be removed from ministry.
SNAP Admires Mother Pursuing Justice For Her Son- Priest Evading Justice
He is not the only Catholic priest who is a fugitive. Fr. Alex Castillo fled an investigation in Oakland and is living someplace. The police say they know where he is.
Fr. George Alengaden fled his arraignment, accused of assaulting five different Catholic parishioners. There are fugitive priests that litter the list of the diocese of Sacramento. We can name dozens nationwide. These men flow like an underground river from place to place, finding victims and using their collars for access and money.
This article points to the ongoing power of Catholic bishops to control the actions of regional and federal law enforcers. How is it possible the FBI is still stiff-arming survivors? How is it possible a professional law enforcement agency, the district attorney’s office of Calaveras County, has lost grand jury reports, evidence, and any other information about this, or any, case?