Rome- Pope's “pain” for “falsely accused” priests is scrubbed? SNAP responds

For immediate release: Thursday, March 6, 2014 

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])

In a little-noticed talk with some Italian priests yesterday, Pope Francis offered tender words for clerics he calls “falsely accused” of abuse (according to Gazzetta del Sud). But those sympathetic words are apparently left out (and replaced by ellipses) in the official version of his talk in four summaries or official versions of the speech that are accessible from the Vatican's website.  (See below.)

We've already voiced our disappointment and concern about the content of his comments: 

http://www.snapnetwork.org/rome_pope_shares_the_pain_of_wrongly_accused_priests_snap_responds 

But having learned - from a staffer at BishopAccountability.org - about apparent Vatican efforts to hide the pontiff's comments, we are even more troubled.

We can't help but wonder what other potentially controversial remarks this pontiff may have made – on all kinds of topics – that may have been scrubbed from official Vatican outlets.

It's depressing that Pope Francis thinks about abuse the same way many Catholic officials do. It's more depressing if Pope Francis – or his backers – act about abuse the same way many Catholic officials do – by being deceptive. 

---Related news SNAP blog post: “Pope recycles old abuse excuses- What's next?” 

http://www.snapnetwork.org/pope_recycles_old_abuse_excuses_defenses_what_s_next

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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]), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, [email protected]), Judy Jones 636-433-2511, [email protected]) Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected])

BACKGROUND / ANALYSIS

Here is the summary of his talk on the Vatican Radio website. It has no mention of his “falsely accused” remarks: 

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-urges-priests-to-have-hearts-of-mercy-and-com

Here's a slightly longer summary, on the website of the Vatican Information Service. No mention here:

http://www.news.va/en/news/to-the-clergy-of-rome-sterile-priests-do-not-help

Here's another version, accessible via the Press Bulletin tab on the Vatican website. No mention of falsely accused priests:

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2014/03/06/0165/00347.html 

Here is the longest available version of his speech on the Vatican website: 

http://www.news.va/en/news/176578

See the bold sentence below. The ellipsis marks where, we believe, the Pope spoke on “falsely accused” priests.

“The priest is called to learn this, to have a heart that is moved. The priests - I beg the word - "aseptic" those "laboratory", everything clean, everything nice, do not help the Church. The Church today we think of it as a "field hospital". This excuse me say it again, because I see it so I can feel it so: a "field hospital". There is a need to heal the wounds, those wounds! Many wounds! There are many people hurt, from physical issues, scandals, even in the Church ... People hurt by the illusions of the world ... We priests need to be there, next to these people. Mercy means first of all to heal the wounds.”