SNAP to Maryland AG: Time to Investigate the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Judge Robert Holzberg concluded that the Diocese of Bridgeport continually ignored laws regarding the reporting of abuse and failed in their duty to protect children under their care. One of the bishops specifically called out for this practice, the late Cardinal Lawrence J. Shehan, went on to become the Archbishop of Baltimore. We are concerned that Cardinal Shehan continued to cover up the sexual abuse of children in Maryland as well.
Another Baltimore Archbishop also came to Maryland from the Diocese of Bridgeport. Current Archbishop William E. Lori was the bishop of Bridgeport from 2001 to 2012, just prior to coming to Baltimore.
Judge Holzberg’s report says when at the helm in Bridgeport, Archbishop Lori acted quickly to remove abusive priests and implemented a new approach to handling allegations. However, he also engaged in a lengthy court fight to conceal documents on the Bridgeport scandal. The Bridgeport report acknowledges that the court battle “somewhat undercut” the diocese’s progress on transparency.
Recently, Archbishop Lori has faced criticism for deleting mention in a report to the Vatican of cash gifts he received from West Virginia bishop Michael J. Bransfield, who he was investigating.
We believe that it is possible that information about child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore may still be hidden, and that Archbishop Lori is not the man to make it public.
We hope that this report out of Bridgeport will encourage other victims, witnesses, and whistle-blowers in Maryland to come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors. And we hope that Maryland AG Brian E. Frosh will make it easier for survivors by implementing a robust investigation using all the resources at his disposal.
The Maryland Attorney General’s office already has an email address ([email protected]) for reporting clergy sexual abuse. However, we urge the creation of a hotline as well, which has worked so well in other states. We also believe that this latest report shows that it is long past time for AG Frosh to investigate the Archdiocese of Baltimore, using search warrants and subpoenas for documents and for testimony. We suspect that an investigation such as the continuing one in Pennsylvania will yield even more shocking revelations in Maryland.
CONTACT: David Lorenz ([email protected], 301-262-6517, Cell: 301-906-9161), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 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.)
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
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