Victims make another filing with UN panel
For immediate release: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Statement by SNAP leader Mary Caplan of New York ([email protected])
Despite having taken virtually no steps whatsoever – as head of a diocese, a religious order or now, the worldwide church - to protect children or expose predators or punish enablers or reform laws relating to abuse, Pope Francis continues to enjoy considerable personal popularity. Carrying his own luggage, paying his own hotel bill, living in smaller quarters, and talking more about the poor are admirable moves. They do not, however, address the most devastating crisis the church faces – and has faced for decades – heinous crimes against kids.
http://www.ccrjustice.org/pdf/CRC%20Supplemental%20SNAP%20Dec%202013.pdf
That’s why we in SNAP – with the valuable help and support of the Center for Constitutional Rights – continue to prod secular authorities, especially at the international level – to do what the pontiff and his top aides refuse to do: prevent the raping and sodomizing of children by publicly exposing those who commit and conceal this awful violence.
Today SNAP and CCR are submitting another report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. In it, we document more recent clergy child sex crimes and cover ups across the world and the refusal of Catholic officials to stop them. And in it, we harshly criticize Pope Francis’ dreadfully disappointing and disingenuous response to a legitimate request for information about this crisis by this UN panel.
Days ago, the pontiff filed a formal response to the UN panel’s questions. He claims that the Vatican can provide information only about known and alleged child sex crimes that have happened on Vatican property. This is a dodge, and not an artful one. We suspect that virtually no one on the planet believes it. Nor should they.
For decades, powerful prelates have pretended to be powerless about predator priests. That is a ruse. And now, the world’s most powerful prelate pretends to be powerless even about providing information about those priests. This claim severely contradicts Pope Francis’ public image as a compassionate “straight shooter.”
Decades ago, the Vatican signed on to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As part of that treaty, the Vatican agreed to give evidence that they are honoring it. Now, they’re refusing to do so.
We believe top Catholic officials have broken and are breaking this treaty. Further, we believe they are thumbing their noses at the United Nations, as so many Catholic officials have done and still do at other secular authorities who try to protect kids and stop child molesting clerics. This must stop.
We look forward to next month, when top Catholic officials will be questioned – in public – by members of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Rome. Theirs is a tough track record to defend.
And we look forward to more and more secular agencies stepping up and working harder to hold Catholic officials responsible for clergy sexual violence and cover ups – those in the past and those happening right now.
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747,[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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