Pope Francis quickly accepts the resignation of Brazilian Bishop; SNAP reacts
Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Tomé Ferreira da Silva, who oversaw a diocese in Sao Paulo state, less than a week after a sexually explicit video, purported to be the bishop, hit social media outlets. Fifteen years shy of the normal retirement age for bishops, Bishop Ferreira da Silva has reportedly been under investigation by the Catholic Church since 2015. The bishop is said to have ignored reports of abuse and exchanged sexual messages with an adolescent, as well as taking a large amount of money from the Church and giving it to someone with whom he allegedly had a romantic relationship.
This development aptly illustrates what we have said repeatedly as an organization, that the Vatican is extremely reluctant to take action against its bishops, until they become an embarrassment. It seems incomprehensible to us that this prelate apparently enjoyed years of impunity without earlier intervention. Clearly, the Church is more concerned about the preservation of its image than addressing the systemic problems of abuse and misconduct by its clergy and hierarchy. Helping victims who have long held the liability for the abuse they suffered always seems to come in dead last.
The viral video seemed to be the breaking point for the Pope in this case. We demand complete transparency from Vatican officials. It is hard to comprehend that it took a Bishop getting caught in a compromising position on the worldwide web for the Catholic Church to finally act. We doubt that the biggest issue for Pope Francis is this indiscrete prelate. We wonder what else is being hidden, and how many more such videos it will take to get those other problem hierarchs removed?
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP 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
Showing 1 comment