Pope Lashes Out at Survivors as Abuse Summit is Set to Begin
As Cardinals and Bishops from across the world gather for Pope Francis’s much-anticipated abuse summit, the tone at the start of the meeting has left survivors and advocates feeling minimized once again.
Could there be a greater disappointment than hearing the pontiff lashing out at "accusers" as "friends, cousins and relatives of the devil" as the abuse summit opens?
Could he craft a more devastating message that would dash the hopes of victims and Catholics worldwide?
It's the oldest canard, the 'fall back' position of Catholic officials who feel pressure: Blame or shoot the messengers and attack their motives.
To those eternal optimists who can't let go of the hope that the church hierarchy will reform itself: it's time to let go. It's time to join the thousands of abuse victims who are turning to one another for healing and to secular officials for justice and prevention.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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 7 comments
pope can do is attack, divert attention, to not admit culpability.