New Letter from the Pope, Same Old Song
For immediate release, August 20, 2018
Statement by Tim Lennon, President, SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, 415-312-5820, [email protected]
Today, we read another missive from Pope Francis about the sexual abuse of children by clergy, this time in response to the devastating report on the Church cover up of these crimes in Pennsylvania. He appropriately expressed righteous anger. The pope again apologized
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/08/20/180820a.html
But we have heard it before. Once again, Pope Francis gives us words not action.
Here's the only question that really matters: Is there a child on earth who is safer now because of the pope's words? Absolutely not.
When Pope Francis said: "Even though it can be said that most of these cases belong to the past," his next phrase should have been "but I know terrible crimes and cover ups are still happening across the globe in our Church and here are the specific steps I'm taking today to stop this horror."
It took a grand jury investigation for law enforcement and the public to be able to examine what had been hidden for so long in Pennsylvania. If Pope Francis is really appalled by the revelations out of the Keystone State he should:
~Order Church officials around the world to voluntarily turn over to law enforcement the kind of records the Pennsylvania grand jury obtained by subpoena;
~Remove each and every Church official who has been complicit in the cover up of clergy crimes; and
~Implore Catholic survivors around the world who have not yet come forward to make reports to law enforcement.
Each time Pope Francis addresses this scandal, his words are longer and stronger, but they are still virtually meaningless. He is welcome to talk about problems he can't fix: war, hunger, poverty. He should fix the problem that he has the right and power to change: the ongoing crisis of the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]); Judy Jones (636-433-2511, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director