Vatican- Pope seeks forgiveness: victims respond
For immediate release Friday, April 11, 2014
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)
We beg the world’s Catholics: be impressed by deeds, not words. Until the Pope takes decisive action that protects kids be skeptical and vigilant.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pope-francis-asks-forgiveness-priests-who-molested-children-1444416
This may be the first time a Pope has talked of sanctions against complicit bishops. But that is all it is: talk. (and if this ever happens, many, many tangible steps to safeguard children in the church must be taken)
On church governess, church finances, and simple living, he acts. On the rape of children he talks.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [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
Showing 5 comments
Thirdly, Mr. Clohessy, I beg of you to please submit this exact same post you have so passionately and articulately written, to ALL MEDIA OUTLETS, tonight. Send it to all the US network news channels, API, Reuters, the BBC; the media in Ireland and Australia and everywhere there is a reputable news network. Please don’t abandone your struggle and fight here and now. As you have pointed out, the pope is a global leader and these crimes are being committed non-stop, round the clock, globally. Please tell Mrs. Blaine and Mrs. Dorris, that NOW IS THE TIME TO RESPOND TO THE POPE’S DUPLICITIOUS REQUEST FOR FORGIVENESS. IT IS the time, FOR ALL CATHOLICS AND INTERESTED, DECENT PEOPLE TO HEAR AND KNOW THAT THERE IS no excuse FOR ANY OF THESE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TO CONTINUE UNSTOPPED IN the catholic church. NO EXCUSE! Please make your voices HEARD NOW. MAKE THEM HEARD BEYOND THE WEBSITE OF SNAP. MAKE THE VATICAN hear and know.
Lani Halter commented 17 mins ago
If I had the opportunity to say more than a simple “No.” in response (directly) to the pope on the subject of his request for forgiveness for the clergy who committed the heinous pedophile crimes against catholic humanity and these bishops and popes who abetted them and enabled them to continue drugging, raping and sodomizinig and raping innocent children and disabled adults allegedly in the name of God, I would tell him to re-read the words of Christ as recorded in: Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42, and Luke 17:2. I will type Matthew 18:6, here: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it were better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Not even Christ, through the Holy Spirit, nor God himself tells us to forgive these particular pedophile criminal perpetrators, enablers and conspirators. No.
Lani Halter commented 36 mins ago
My response to the pope’s request, is: No.