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SNAP Media Events
Clergy abuse victims/advocates presser THURS 11/30 @ 11:15a.m. & 1:15pm in Chicago
At a sidewalk news conference with signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse advocates will
-- announce a new formal, first-ever complaint to the Vatican against five top Chicagoland Catholic officials for 'ignoring, hiding and/or enabling' child sex crimes by clergy,
-- blast those church figures for ‘doing little or nothing’ to protect others from a predator priest who is believed to now live and work 'unsupervised and unmonitored' in the Chicago area (despite a recent $2 million settlement paid to one of his victims), and
-- urge the church officials to warn police, prosecutors, parents, parishioners and the public about him, and
-- harshly critize the heads of three dioceses (Chicago, Joliet, Rockford) and a Chicago-based Catholic religious order for how they mishandled the predator, the case and the settlement.
They will also beg anyone who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes or church cover ups to call law enforcement.
--At 11:15 a.m. outside the St. John Stone Friary, 1165 E. 54th Pl. (in Hyde Park), Chicago
--At 1:15 p.m. outside St. Rita of Cascia High School, 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago
A veteran Chicago attorney who represents abuse victims and the former long-time director of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
A large photo of the abuser and a poster listing credibly accused Chicago clerics in the Augustinians, the religious order to which the predator priest belongs
Wrongful death suit filed vs. Missouri boarding school
Wrongful death suit filed vs. Missouri boarding school
Mom sues because her son, gang raped there, is now dead
Unusual case names eight defendants; two of them are sheriffs
It also accuses a company that transports kids to such facilities
Victims also call for better laws & enforcement 'to prevent more abuse'
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will
--announce the first-ever wrongful death lawsuit against a controversial, unlicensed, independent and now-shuttered Baptist facility for 'troubled teenagers' in southern Missouri, and
--call on Missouri lawmakers to pass a new law that would expand the state's civil statute of limitations on abuse which would enable more child sex abuse victims to expose those who commit or conceal child sex crimes in court.
--urge local and state law enforcement agencies to more aggressively investigate similar schools and more vigorously prosecute wrongdoers.
WHEN
Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Federal Courthouse 400 E. 9th Street in downtown Kansas City, MO
Groups seek Vatican’s help re: Springfield IL bishop
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will announce that their group is filing with the Vatican (under a new and little-known church process) a lengthy formal complaint charging that Springfield's bishop is deliberately protecting predator priests and making it harder for victims to report abuse.
--use chalk to write on the sidewalk the names of proven, admitted &/or credibly accused child molesting clerics who are or were in the Springfield Diocese but are NOT on the official diocesan 'credibly accused' list, and
--ask Springfield's bishop to let victims them speak later this month at a diocese-wide assembly.
Thursday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 pm
Diocese of Oakland priest accused of child sexual abuse in a current lawsuit still in ministry in Rodeo
For immediate release September 29, 2023
Diocese of Oakland priest accused of child sexual abuse in a current lawsuit still in ministry in Rodeo
As far as SNAP can tell, the faithful in the parish were never alerted to the accusations and the cleric was never suspended
Survivors’ group thinks that this does not square with the promises of the Dallas Charter and prior actions by the Diocese
Victims and advocates urge Bishop Michael Barber to be transparent with the parishioners of his Diocese and the public
WHAT: Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and advocates will:
-- Discuss whether the failure of the Diocese of Oakland to notify the faithful that their priest was accused in a lawsuit for child sexual abuse is part of a deliberate strategy to keep the information secret;
-- Urge Bishop Michael Barber to come clean to the affected parishioners and let them know about the accusations; and
-- Ask the faithful to ponder how this omission squares with the promise of the Dallas Charter and the usual procedures of the Diocese in such cases.
WHEN: October 1, 2023, at 9:00 AM
WHERE: On the public sidewalk outside of St. Patrick Catholic Church, 907 Seventh Street, Rodeo
WHO: 4 to 5 clergy abuse victims and advocates, including survivors from the Oakland Diocese
WHY: An active Diocese of Oakland priest has been accused of child sexual abuse in a recently filed lawsuit. The clergyman, Fr. Larry Young, is still in ministry as the pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Rodeo despite the accusations.
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) speak about the bankruptcy filing of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (AOB).
(For Immediate Release)
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) speaks about the bankruptcy filing of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (AOB).
The AOB does not include parish assets in its declaration of assets but desires to have parishes protected by bankruptcy filing. They can’t have it both ways.
Survivors and supporters will attend the hearing to make their presence known to the bankruptcy judge followed by a protest at the Baltimore courthouse
WHAT: A sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will demand that the AOB drop its bankruptcy filing in order to protect the patrimony of the Church. We will point out the hypocrisy of church officials. We will demand that survivors be allowed to tell their stories in open court because justice requires it. For those who suffered from child sex crimes committed in the Archdiocese, there is no upside to this cruel and, in our opinion, unjustified legal tactic. SNAP believes that children, not secrets and assets, are what need to be protected.
WHEN: Tuesday 10/3/23 noon
WHERE: In front of the United States District Court in Baltimore.101 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Will speak about the upcoming activation of the Child Victim’s Act (CVA) and the possible bankruptcy declaration by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
For Immediate Release September 27, 2023
WHAT: A sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will encourage survivors to come forward and seek help while updating them on the upcoming change in Maryland law on 10/1/23. The CVA will take effect.
WHEN: Thursday 9/28/23 11:00 am
WHERE: In front of the Baltimore Basilica, 409 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201
WHO: 7-10 abuse survivors and advocates, including the Maryland SNAP Leader David Lorenz, who wants to reach out to adult survivors of sexual abuse and make them aware of the changes in Maryland law known as the Child Victim’s Act that will take effect on Sunday. They will also call attention to the fact that the Archdiocese of Baltimore is floating the idea of declaring bankruptcy even before the first case is filed
The Parents of Ohioans for Child Protection and local, national survivors of SNAP Network call on Ohio AG for a full investigation
For Immediate Release August 15, 2023
WHAT
The parents of Ohioans for Child Protection and local, national survivors of SNAP Network and other concerned members of the community will be holding a press conference to publicly ask Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to conduct a statewide investigation of the history and scope of child sexual abuse, trafficking, child sex abuse enabling and cover up in Ohio’s 6 Dioceses.
Victims push for new abuse probe; D.C. Presser 8/13 1:30pm
Victims push for new abuse probe
They ask DC AG to open investigation
SNAP: 'Dozens of abusers are/were here but remain hidden'
And they prod DC’s archbishop to reveal more predators
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will hold a sidewalk news conference revealing the names of the "DC's Most Dangerous Dozen Child Molesting Clerics" - 12 proven, admitted &/or credibly accused predator priests who
--are still alive and presumably a threat to children now,
--are or were working and or living in the District of Columbia BUT
--are NOT on the official DC Catholic archdiocesan 'credibly accused' list.
They will also release copies of two letters they're sending:
--one to DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, urging him to launch a 'thorough, full-scale investigation, like 25 other AGs across the US have done, into Catholic clergy sex crimes and cover-ups in the Washington DC archdiocese,’ and
--one to DC Cardinal Wilton Gregory, urging him to add those names, and dozens of others, to his “woefully inaccurate and inadequate” list of 'credibly accused' abusive clerics on the archdiocesan website.
Media Statements
US bankruptcy laws give unintended advantages to churches: SNAP urges Federal action
For Immediate Release, December 6, 2023
An insightful article, published in The Guardian and authored by Louisiana journalist Jason Berry, points out that in bankruptcy court, religious institutions get all the relief the process affords, but have advantages other debtors do not enjoy. Sadly, in the bankruptcies filed by entities like the Catholic Church, the law is being used to protect institutions that covered up child sex abuse.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, believes that in the interest of safeguarding today’s boys and girls, the United States government must close this loophole. As SNAP Board Member Dan McNevin pointed out in The Guardian piece, “These bankruptcies are saving dioceses from ever coming clean.” Dan wants the Church to list the names of all of the accused, as a form of “contrition.” The bankruptcy process does not lend itself to those disclosures.
While the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, agreed to release its clergy abuse files publicly as part of that bankruptcy settlement, Santa Fe is the exception rather than the rule. Documents in the Milwaukee bankruptcy were sealed in 2016. A request from the state attorney general to release those records in 2018 is still being litigated.
The New Orleans bankruptcy is perhaps the worst-case scenario. The judge in that proceeding has not only kept the information sealed, she chose a “nuclear option” in 2022, when a local Catholic school was warned about an accused priest who was working there. In response, the judge removed three plaintiff attorneys from the creditor committee, as well as their four clients/survivors. She also fined the lawyer who had issued the warning to the school's principal $400,000. The fine is currently under appeal. The FBI has been investigating Catholic cases in Louisiana for more than a year, though how much information it has actually obtained from the Church is unclear.
Child predators rarely, if ever stop, without outside intervention. The Catholic Church is a prime example of a religious institution that has protected its perpetrators from criminal prosecution for decades. Unfortunately, SCOTUS ruled in the Stogner case that criminal statutes of limitations cannot be changed retroactively. Yet the Catholic Church has impeded current criminal investigations in Wisconsin, and perhaps in Louisiana as well.
As a work-around to the US Supreme Court ruling on criminal law, states have expanded or removed their civil statutes of limitation. Some, like Louisiana, California, and New York, have open civil windows to help protect children by allowing victims to pursue lawsuits, despite fierce opposition from the Catholic Church. Even today, dioceses in Louisiana are challenging that state’s look-back legislation.
When legal challenges to civil windows fail, as they did in California, Catholic dioceses have fled to the protection of the bankruptcy court, thwarting the legislative intent of those states to learn the names of the abusers. In their efforts to protect their secrets they have even become unlikely bedfellows with a company that contributed to the US' current opioid crisis.
We do not think it is in the public interest for information about child predators, regardless of where they hunted, to remain hidden. It seems to us long past time for the federal government to reconsider this unintended consequence of the bankruptcy law.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected]), Dan McNevin, SNAP Board of Directors Treasurer ([email protected], 415-341-6417), 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 Letter to Christophe Cardinal Pierre - Papal Nuncio
Oct. 19, 2023
His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre
Papal Nuncio
3339 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008
Dear Cardinal Pierre:
"The Diocese of Springfield’s handling of child sex abuse allegations is a story of failed leadership—leadership that allowed clerics to sexually abuse children in the diocese for decades. Through it all, men leading the diocese for 50 years chose to protect the reputation of the church and its clerics, rather than attempt to ensure the physical and mental well-being of its children.”
“As a result, children of the diocese suffered through decades of child sex abuse, the impact of which continues to this day."
So wrote Illinois’ highest ranking law enforcement professional, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, following a nearly five-year investigation into clergy sex crimes and cover ups across the state.
Into this horrific situation stepped Bishop Thomas Paprocki twelve years ago. He knew Springfield had been a troubled diocese. (In fact, one of his predecessors, Bishop Daniel Ryan, was a child molester himself, as Paprocki himself was aware.)
So one would reasonably have expected Paprocki to be especially diligent, sensitive and proactive about abuse.
His experience should have also enabled him to better deal with abuse.
SNAP weighs in on USCCB meeting in Baltimore
For Immediate Release November 13, 2023
When all US Catholic bishops meet in Baltimore, we urge them to discuss the church's ongoing clergy sex abuse and cover-up crisis. Ignoring this still-widespread and deeply hurtful criminal scandal leads to further complacency which enables more predators to assault more kids.
While the Catholic hierarchy's internal panels, procedures, policies and protocols on abuse are inherently flawed and rarely effective, not talking about this crisis is the wrong approach.
Specifically, at a bare minimum, we urge the bishops to at least discuss the possibility of:
---establishing a whistleblowers fund to help church employees who experience retaliation after reporting known or suspected child sex crimes to church officials, and
---fighting for, not against, reforms of secular abuse laws to give victims of childhood sexual violence more time to expose those who commit or conceal child sex crimes in court.
We also urge them to vote AGAINST elevating San Francisco's archbishop to a committee chairmanship.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone remains one of only about a dozen prelates who stubbornly, recklessly and callously refuse to disclose and post on their website the names of credibly accused child molesting clerics. On that basis alone, he should be denied any more positions of respect or responsibility in the church.
(He's one of two candidates to become head of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of the Diocese of Toledo is running against him.)
https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/us-bishops-meet-nov-13-16-baltimore-assembly-be-live-streamed
CONTACT: David Lorenz, SNAP Maryland ([email protected], 301-906-9161), Teresa Lancaster, SNAP Member ([email protected], 410- 703- 9122), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578
(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)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is once again tone deaf to the cry of the poor: they have ignored survivors’ cries for justice
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is once again tone deaf to the cry of the poor: they have ignored survivors’ cries for justice
The Bishops' Conference ignores two primary findings of the recent Synod which concluded on October 28th
The USCCB sits on their hands while Archbishop William Lori re-victimizes survivors by filing for bankruptcy, not to protect Church assets, but to avoid the scandal of civil litigation
WHAT: At a sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will demand that the USCCB follow the findings of the recent Synod which recommends a new approach to the child abuse crisis and also to have “regular reviews of the bishop’s performance with reference to …safeguarding against all possible kinds of abuse.” They will call on the USCCB to take these recommendations seriously, as well as to review the conduct of Archbishop Lori. Specifically, to look into how the Archbishop has handled the abuses newly revealed by the Maryland Attorney General and how he has revictimized survivors by filing for bankruptcy. The Archdiocese of Baltimore (AOB) has not shown any financial insolvency due to child abuse cases being filed. SNAP will also call, once again, for the Archbishop to attend each of the bankruptcy hearings where survivors are given a chance to tell their stories in an atmosphere where they feel protected by the court, rather than in the Archbishop’s inner sanctum where survivors feel intimidated by the trappings of ecclesiastical power.
WHEN: Tuesday 11/14/23 at 1:30 PM
WHERE: Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna St, Baltimore, MD 21202
WHO: Abuse survivors and advocates, including Maryland SNAP Leader David Lorenz and Maryland SNAP member Teresa Lancaster
SNAP Supports Michigan House Bills 4482-4487
For Immediate Release, November 8, 2023
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the oldest and largest support group for victims of abuse in religious settings. We are 100% in support of any legislation that extends or eliminates the criminal or civil SOL for child sex crimes. Science shows that delayed disclosure of abuse is normal, and allowing survivors more time to come forward not only helps them to heal, it can also help protect today's children by exposing hidden predators.
Survivors respond to recent Archdiocesan comments to KTVU
For Immediate Release, November 8, 2023
Survivors and advocates have written to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, responding to recent Archdiocesan comments about the bankruptcy letter we sent to the Archbishop last week. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, has supplied additional supporting documentation for our November 1, 2023, letter to the Archbishop.
A copy of the letter sent earlier today by email can be found here.
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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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).
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