PA--Victims to leaflet Catholic church

Victims to leaflet at Catholic church

They challenge pope to demote bishops

SNAP: “Church officials refuse to do aggressive outreach”

So group asks parishioners to “search for wounded survivors”

“Pope talks about families while abuse crisis devastates them,” SNAP says

What:

On the cusp of Pope Francis’ first-ever visit to the US, as parishioners leave mass, abuse victims will hand out fliers to church goers. The leaflets urge Pennsylvania Catholic officials to

--disclose the names, photos and whereabouts of all proven, admitted or credibly accused predator priests and

--aggressively seek out and help their victims

The fliers also urge Catholic church members to

--question loved ones about these child molesting clerics (“Did any of these clerics ever hurt you?”) and

--beg relatives of victims to come forward get help, call the police, expose predators and protect kids

--prod anyone who has “seen, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes of cover ups to call law enforcement.”

WHEN

Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11:30 am

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia

WHO

Five-six adults who were abused as kids by clerics (and their supporters) who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY

While Catholic officials pretend that the continuing clergy sex abuse and cover up crisis is waning, thousands of proven, admitted and credibly accused predator priests are living among unsuspecting neighbors with little or no supervision. (Several hundred are on sex offender registries but most are not. And most have not been defrocked.)

Some, in fact, are still in church jobs:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/10/pope-francis-remove-the-usas-predator-priests/

For the safety of parishioners and the public, SNAP wants Pope Francis to “defrock, demote or discipline” bishops who continue to “protect predators and endanger kids,” especially by “keeping names of child molesting clerics secret and letting them live unsupervised and move elsewhere among unsuspecting families.”

http://www.globalpost.com/content/fugitive-fathers

For more than 25 years, SNAP has repeatedly urged bishops to “aggressively seek out and help” the thousands of victims “still trapped in silence, shame and self-blame.” But bishops refuse to do anything but the most minimal moves, the group contends.

So now, SNAP is prodding rank-and-file Catholics to take this step. Specifically, the organization is asking parishioners to circulate lists of publicly accused predator priests in their dioceses and ask loved ones if any of them were hurt by any of the priests.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/lists.htm

The Pope’s visit to Philadelphia has been prompted by a conference on family life. SNAP contends that church officials rebuff and attack not only victims of clergy sex crimes but their families as well. The long term effects of clergy sex crimes are often as damaging to parents and siblings as to the victims themselves.

In St. Louis, just a few weeks ago, a twice-arrested predator priest sued a 12 year old child’s parents (and SNAP members) alleging slander.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/federal-lawsuit-filed-by-st-louis-priest-cleared-of-child/article_b13a09e4-e683-56ad-a5b6-0ff5bacbd667.html

CONTACT

Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747 [email protected]), David Clohessy (314-566-9790, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected]) Jack Hynes 215-837-4364