SNAP is proud of brave KC survivor

We are grateful to this brave man for speaking up about his childhood trauma, exposing a predator, and taking a huge step toward prevention and healing. 

Some will no doubt try to claim that Bishop Finn has no role in this. They're wrong. According to Catholic teaching and practice and custom and canon law, bishops are responsible for the safety and well-being of their flocks. Finn has a duty to parents and parishioners to

-- reach out to others who may have been hurt by Urbanic,

-- get information about Urbanic from his staff and flock,

-- turn that information over to police so Urbanic might be prosecuted and kept away from kids, and

-- insist that Urbanic's direct supervisors put him in a remote, secure treatment facility so he's not around kids now.

So far, as best we can tell, Finn has done none of this. His silence and inaction leaves children at risk and compounds the pain of adults who were assaulted as kids. And it shows that his approach to clergy sex crimes and cover ups is not changing.

Some will no doubt criticize this victim. Even now, a small, misguided but loud few continue to deny clergy sex crimes and cover ups. We hope they'll take note of Msgr. Stephen Rosetti's comments yesterday at the Vatican. Rossetti, a psychologist who for a decade ran a U.S. treatment center for abusive priests," told the conference Tuesday that just like alcoholics or drug addicts, sexually abusive priests often lie when confronted with allegations. They manipulate, they con, they deny.

"There are false allegations to be sure," and it's critical to restore a priest's good name when he has been cleared, Rossetti said in his prepared remarks. "But decades of experience tell us that the vast majority of allegations -- over 95 percent -- are founded." http://wwrn.org/articles/36868/

And please remember that church officials have admitted that Urbanic admits having molested at least one child.

This victim is a police officer. He's dedicating his career to protecting the innocent. That's what he did by reporting Urbanic. That's what he's doing now by taking legal action. We are proud of him. He should be proud too.

NOTE – We are basing this on our conversations with the victim, not on the lawsuit, which we have not seen.