Rome--Victims question church-state ties in Norway, other nations
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected])
Norwegian Catholic officials are accused of exaggerating church rosters to get more money. We’re skeptical of Oslo Bishop Bernt Eidsvig’s claims that he and his colleagues “never intended to do anything illegal."
http://www.thelocal.no/20150226/norways-top-catholic
We’re saddened by these allegations and urge governments to reconsider their agreements to collect fees for churches. These arrangements invite corruption and discourage abuse victims, witnesses and whistleblowers.
This kind of system gives churches too much power to church officials and deters abuse victims from speaking up ("See how powerful church is? See how closely it’s tied to secular authorities? Who will believe me? Why risk speaking up? Nothing will be done if I tell police or prosecutors")
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We were founded in 1988 and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the +1 314-566-9790, [email protected], Barbara Dorris +1 314-503-0003, [email protected], Barbara Blaine +1 312-399-4747, [email protected]
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