Pope at German Bundestag - Clergy Sex Victims disappointed
It’s sad that in Germany, where hundreds of brave, wounded child sex abuse victims have spoken up in the last year, the pope can’t bring himself to openly address the most devastating crisis in modern church history.
If he can’t even talk about it, there’s little chance he can fix it.
We keep looking for the papal speech in which he outlines clear, specific action steps that will help prevent future clergy sex crimes and cover ups. But it never happens. This time is no exception.
It’s ironic that the pope speaks of justice while his lawyers and church lawyers across the globe consistently fight to stop child sex abuse victims from being heard in court.
SNAP members follow Pope Benedict across Germany, urging him to make real reforms that will protect kids (not symbolic gestures and meaningless apologies that safeguard no one). The group will hold news conferences in each city that the Pope visits.
For More Information, please contact SNAP-Spokespeople in Germany:
Barbara Blaine, (SNAP President) +1 312.399.4747; +49-(0)172 1677 178 (English)
Wilfried Fesselmann +49-(0)176-48210171 (German, English)
Lieve Halsberghe, Belgium, +32 475 910 918 (Dutch, German, English, Italian, French)
Emmanuel Henckens +32(0)485 967 671 (Dutch, German, English, Italian, French)
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
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