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	Abuse Survivors, Attendees Clash over Clergy CBS 2 January 7, 2007 http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_007180540.html (CBS) Los Angeles — group of self-proclaimed sex abuse victims and their supporters gathered outside Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles on Sunday morning to protest what they called the church's continued cover-up of a systemic problem. "Innocent kids and vulnerable adults are still at risk," said Joelle Casteix, southwest regional director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "Because church officials are still reckless and secretive. Because there always have been and always will be sexually abusive clergy. Because bishops are working harder than ever at public relations, but fundamentally, they still protect their secrets more than they protect their flocks." The vigil was held in recognition of the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Boston Globe reporting the clergy scandal. It was situated outside the church entrance in plain view of parishioners. Fifty-four other cities also held demonstrations. Participants passed out leaflets and displayed photos of victims' families -- one of which they said died as a result of the inflicted abuse. Dan O'Connell, was shot and killed by Wisconsin priest Ryan Erickson in 2002 after O'Connell confronted him with molestation allegations. Erickson hung himself in 2004. Erick Patterson, who claims that he was abused as a child, took his life at the age of 29, according SNAP -- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. SNAP was criticized by Tod Tamberg, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, and another man on his way to a 10 a.m. Mass. "They are totally focused on the evil that occurred to them, but part of the healing is how do we screen new seminaries coming in?" asked parishioner Bill Moreno, who argued with Casteix. "I am concerned about the people who are enemies of the church and want to destroy it," Moreno said. "I would like them to take some of this energy, this angst of what happened to them, and channel that into how to protect children in the future." Tamberg agreed with Moreno's viewpoints. "This (the vigil) has nothing to do with protecting kids," he said. Tamberg then listed a series of measures the Catholic church took to prevent further abuse including: 40,000 people have been trained in sex abuse prevention; designated lay-people handle allegations of abuse; former FBI agents investigate allegations of abuse; criminal background checks are required for everyone affiliated with church, from part-time volunteers to priests; a good touch-bad touch program was implemented for children. The Report to the People of God, which was created three years ago and is available online, chronicles reports of abuse since 1930 and names credibly accused abusers. None of the facts in the report have ever been contradicted, he said. "They (SNAP) wave their hands and make 40,000 people disappear," he said. "The fact is our schools are overflowing, our churches are full. In a five million member archdiocese people have seen the safeguards put in place. They're not threatened. We know they're not being threatened. When you come to our parish, we'll show you you're not being threatened." As people see that, Tamberg said, SNAP will become "less and less of a relevant voice." Casteix said that the church's programs come too late. "Shouldn't they have been doing that all along?" Casteix replied when asked about the church's preventive measures. "Now they want us to congratulate them for a policy our public schools have had for the last fifty years." Tamberg said that clergy official handled abuse reports as best as they knew how at the time -- even though their actions were clouded by "naivete" in believing predators could be changed. Casteix disagreed. Referring specifically to Cardinal Roger Mahony, she said "as we've seen in court cases, he knew there were sexual abuse problems," she said. "(Mahony) has a master's degree in social work. He knows," she said. As for the abuse report, Casteix said, it's the equivalent of a "spreadsheet that's very vague on full disclosure," she said. Names of well-known abusers are conveniently omitted, but Tamberg counters only the names of those credibly accused or the subject of lawsuits can be included because otherwise it undermines the legitimacy of the document. SNAP has been "consistently marginalized" as church leaders have refused to meet with them, Casteix said. "What the Catholic church has done, it has become a magnet for people who abuse children because for so many years it has become a safe haven and that safe haven needs to be turned on its ears," she said. "We can't trust the church as a higher moral authority so we must empower parents and their children." Tamberg said that Mahony often meets victims of abuse at the judge's chambers across from the downtown cathedral. SNAP's objective, according to Mary Grant, western regional director of SNAP, is to pressure church leaders to disclose more information about abusers and stop resisting legal efforts to uncover abuse. Barbara Blaine, president of SNAP, said the group also wants photos of victims to be displayed in churches across the country. "Evil that is not remembered is doomed to repeat itself," she said, explaining why the photos should be displayed. In the past five years, as many as 900 proven, admitted and credibly accused child-molesting clerics have been exposed and suspended across the United States, according to SNAP.
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