Pope Must Punish Pell's Defenders
Despite his conviction for abusing two young boys, many in Australia are rallying around Cardinal George Pell as he awaits sentencing.
We urge Pope Francis to encourage his flock to stop publicly rallying around Pell. This kind of callousness only guarantees that other victims of horrific sexual violence will stay silent instead of coming forward, which enables child molesters to hurt more kids.
It's heartbreaking to see prominent people publicly rallying around one of the world's most powerful Catholic figures, despite a guilty verdict, because we know what it leads to: more kids being vulnerable and more victims being depressed.
Publicly backing a convicted cleric deters victims from reporting criminals. It keeps more victims trapped in hopelessness, which keeps more predators "under the radar" and thus keeps more kids at risk of horrific harm.
We understand that some devout Catholics can't believe Pell is actually guilty. But we all face a stark choice here. We can add to the entrenched and unhealthy culture of secrecy that's still painfully widespread in the church. Or we can instead trust that a jury of Pell's peers have seen the evidence, weight its validity, and ultimately rendered a guilty verdict.
So support Pell if you must. But do so quietly, not in ways that further endanger children and hurt victims. Here are some ways to respond appropriately when your minister has been accused of abuse.
CONTACT: Steven Spaner, SNAP Australia Coordinator ([email protected], +1 636.433.2511), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], +1-517-974-9009)
(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 1 comment