Pope’s new comments don’t protect kids, SNAP says
For immediate release: Friday, Sept. 20, 2013
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
Pope Francis continues to make comments and gestures that show compassion and a willingness to break old, unhealthy church patterns. And he makes millions of Catholics feel better.
But it's time for him to bring these traits to bear on the crisis that even he refuses to deal with – the church’s on-going and rampant child sex abuse and cover up crisis.
It's good to make adults happier. But it's better to make children safer. That should have been the pontiff's top priority on day one. It should become his top priority now. He’s done nothing to protect children, expose predators and deter cover ups. Not as a priest, bishop, archbishop or cardinal. Not as the pope.
Next month, in an unprecedented move, Pope Francis will bring eight cardinals to Rome to consult with him on what many believe is a crucial church issue. But that issue is governance, not child sex crimes and cover ups. To us, that’s heartbreaking. A more efficient Vatican bureaucracy would be good. A world of safer children would be better.
We challenge Catholics to ask themselves to name a single tangible step has Pope Francis taken, at any point in his decades-long clerical career, to make kids safer. Until he does, thousands of boys and girls across the globe will be sexually assaulted by priests, nuns, bishops, brothers and seminarians. Thousands of child molesting clerics will continue to walk free, along with thousands of their complicit colleagues.
It’s easy to say things that soothe atheists, gays, liberals and the poor. It’s hard to do things that root out those who commit and conceal child sex crimes. That’s what Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict refused to do. That’s what Pope Francis is also refusing to do.
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
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 3 comments