| The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests SNAP Press Release Clergy sex abuse victims & Catholics blast archbishop He “splits hairs” & “ducks responsibility” in abuse cases Groups wants prelate to visit church where German priest worked Cleric was ousted two days ago, but only after three weeks of inaction Wuerl should probe delay & denounce controversial Colombian Cardinal SNAP: “In sex cases, Archbishop should stop shifting blame & start taking action” WHAT They will also urge WHEN WHERE WHO WHY The group wants Washington DC Archbishop Donald Wuerl launch an independent probe into the delays, and use his vast resources (archdiocesan staff, website, newspaper, and parish bulletins) to find other victims and witnesses. They also want Wuerl to personally visit each site there the cleric worked, and emphatically urge anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes to come forward, get help, call police, and start healing. Earlier this week, SNAP wrote Pope Benedict XVI and Washington DC Archbishop Donald Wuerl about a controversial, now-retired former Vatican official, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. Castrillon Hoyos made international headlines when a letter he wrote to a French bishop surfaced last week. In it, he praised a French bishop for not reporting a credibly accused sex offender to police despite being a mandated reporter under French law. The French bishop was convicted of failing to report child sex crimes to secular authorities. On Saturday, Castrillon Hoyos again generated a firestorm when he claimed that Pope John Paul II instructed him to send copies of his letter addressed to the French bishop to bishops worldwide. Yesterday, Castrillon Hoyos was essentially disinvited by a Catholic lay group, and SNAP is upset that neither the Pope, Wuerl, nor a single Catholic official across the globe is expressing dismay at the Cardinal’s advocating reckless behavior. The group wants Wuerl to publicly castigate Castrillon Hoyos for is irresponsible actions. In both cases – the German predator and the controversial Cardinal – SNAP feels that Wuerl could and should show courage and speak out. Instead, the group says, Wuerl ducks, dodges, splits hairs and avoids responsibility. Finally, SNAP is calling on Wuerl to do what 20 other US bishops have done – list on his archdiocesan website the names, whereabouts and status of all proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics who work or have worked in the DC archdiocese. The group calls this a “bare minimum” public safety step designed to warn unsuspecting parents, neighbors, relatives and co-workers about potentially dangerous sex offenders. CONTACT | |
![]() Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests www.snapnetwork.org |