National--leaflet to be handed out at churches re Spotlight & perp lists

In 10 cities in the US this weekend (Sat. Feb. 27 & Sunday, Feb. 28), survivors and advocates will hand out this leaflet to mass-goers.  

Please help protect kids!

Tell your bishop to post predators’ names

WHO WE ARE

We are concerned Catholics, clergy sex abuse victims and their loved ones. We belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY WE’RE HERE

We’re protecting the vulnerable, healing the wounded, exposing the truth & preventing more cover ups.

WHAT WE WANT

For the safety of kids & the health of the church, we want bishops to reveal and post on their websites the names of 2,800 accused predator priests whose identities remain hidden. (Bishops admit that a 6,300 US priests are accused child predators.) Roughly 30 bishops have posted names of child molesting clerics in their own dioceses. Most bishops, however, have not. So many proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting priests, nuns, bishops, seminarians and other church workers now live (and sometime work) among completely unaware, trusting and vulnerable neighbors and colleagues. That’s a reckless recipe for repeated crimes that crush children’s lives.

Last month, the Seattle Catholic archdiocese released a list of 77 child molesting clerics. Last year, six Minnesota-based church institutions did likewise. Next month, Yakima’s bishop may do the same.

But at least 2,300 US priests who are accused of molesting kids have not been publicly identified.

ALL bishops should post ALL names of proven, admitted and credibly accused clerics. This is the quickest, cheapest, easiest, safest way to warn parents, police, prosecutors, parishioners & the public about predators. It’s also the VERY LEAST bishops should do, since they recruited, educated, ordained, hired, trained, transferred & shielded these predators, often helping them evade prosecution by keeping secrets until legal deadlines expired.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

--Call or email your bishop and tell him you want these names posted on parish and diocesan websites.

--Learn the names of many of the predator priests in your diocese here: BishopAccountability.org

--Ask your loved one and fellow parishioners if they saw, suspected or suffered crimes or wrongdoing by any of these child molesting clerics. (If they answer “YES,” beg them to call police or send any information or suspicions you or they might have to our organization and get help from a mental health professional.)

--Urge your legislators to extend or eliminate the archaic, predator-friendly statutes of limitations so that more child molesters will be exposed & more kids will be protected no matter what church officials do or don’t do.

--Go see the film “Spotlight.” Urge your friends and family to see it too.

--Donate to groups like ours that help victims, expose crimes and deter cover ups. Thank you!

CONTACT – David Clohessy 314 566 9790, [email protected] (SNAP 312 455 1499, PO Box 6416, Chicago IL 60680-6416) All information we receive is confidential. Thanks!