SNAP Responds to the Defrocking of Fr. Fernando Karadima by Pope Francis
For immediate release, September 28, 2018
Statement by Zach Hiner, Executive Director, [email protected], (517) 974-9009
Today, Pope Francis took the long overdue step of formally laicizing Fr. Fernando Karadima and removing him from his ecclesiastical status. While we hope that this measure provides some small support the survivors of Fr. Karadima, we also recognize that this move comes about seven years after Fr. Karadima was found guilty, in a Vatican tribunal, of abusing dozens of children.
If Pope Francis truly wants to do what is best for survivors of sexual abuse, he cannot continue to self-investigate allegations of abuse and then wait for years, and in some cases decades, to take action against priests who have been credibly accused. This is compounded by the fact that Pope Francis himself has admitted errors into his own investigation into the Chilean church. We can only assume that similar errors have been made in dioceses around the world.
We believe that all allegations of sexual abuse, whether they occurred today or twenty years ago, should immediately be turned over to law enforcement for investigation, and the church should step aside and allow independent investigators to determine the full extent of the crimes and subsequent cover-ups.
Today’s announcement is the smallest of steps. We are looking forward to seeing much more impactful ones in the near future and believe such an impact can only be made with the help of independent, outside authorities.
(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. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact: Zach Hiner, [email protected], (517) 974-9009, Tim Lennon, 415-312-5820 [email protected], Melanie Sakoda 925-708-6175, [email protected]
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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