Pope Francis Lashes Out at Media and Calls for “Unity”
As Pope Francis spoke publicly this week about the challenges facing the institutional Catholic Church in the United States, he took the opportunity to blame not abusers or their enablers, but the media for the “throwing gas on the fire.”
It is difficult to take his comments seriously when he completely sidesteps responsibility for the people who started that fire in the first place.
By railing against the “four sins” of the media, Pope Francis joins the chorus of folks who think shooting the messenger is the proper response to stories that upset them. The fact is, journalists represent an easy target for reporting on the failures of institutions and individuals. What is far more difficult is addressing the continued failures of the institution that claims to have its abuse scandal well in hand but that story after story demonstrates is not true.
It is a simple truth that the abuse scandal is not the fault of the journalists who report on it. The blame lies solely at the feet of the abusers and their enablers.
Pope Francis is upset because Catholic media is not toeing the party line. Yet it is a good thing that those closest to institutions needing reform are willing to ask difficult questions and discuss challenging topics. Change can never come without it.
We applaud the members of the media who are doing their job ethically and responsibly and hope the lashing from Pope Francis falls on deaf ears. We hope that these journalists continue to unify around the principles of truth and transparency as opposed to blind unity towards an institution.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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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