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	We Are in Germany National Survivor Advocates Coalition March 22, 2010 http://www.nsacoalition.org/ The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) arrived in Munich Germany Sunday to stand in solidarity with the German survivors. Mike Sweatt, one of the founders of NSAC, is our voice in Pope Benedict’s home diocese. Please spread the NSAC News far and wide today and in the coming days that the silence may be broken, the wounded and suffering found as the good fight to protect children and provide access to justice continues. We know you are with us in this effort. We are grateful for all of your support. – Kristine Ward and all of NSAC WHAT: Press Conferences WHEN: Sunday, March 21, 2010 and Monday, March 22 WHERE: Frauenkirche – Dom zu unserer lieben Frau — Cathedral of Our Lady, Munich, Germany WHO: Two Survivors including Michael (Mike) Sweatt, a founder of United States National Survivor Advocates Coalition and a prominent US survivor advocate for victims of clergy sexual abuse since 2002. Mr. Sweatt is a survivor. WHY: Solidarity with German survivors. Push for German government full inquiry. Examination of tax money given to Catholic Church. National Survivor Advocates Coalitiion (NSAC) wants: * German citizens to listen and learn from US experience with Catholic Churchsexual abuse scandal * push for Chancellor Angela Merkel and federal legislators to pursue full inquiry of crimes, pass laws favorable to protecting children and providing access to justice for survivors * revolt against use of tax money for Catholic Church if whole truth is not exposed * Pope Benedict to release the Roman Catholic Church’s database of priests who have abused worldwide. Cases were sent to Vatican office headed by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Pope needs to open records and provide current locations of priests who abused to protect chidlren. * unity among Germans to protect children, prosecute abusers, prosecute those who covered up crimes and hid crimes from police. Germans have the opportunity to show the world what unity can accomplish. Unite as you did to bring the Berlin Wall in 1989. Unite to save the innocent and vulnerable. Find the survivors. Contact Information: Michael Sweatt: 207-831-3791 (Cell) 49-89-360020 Munich, mjsweatt@aol.com Kristine Ward, Chair, National Survivor Advocates Coalition, 937-272-0308 (United States) KristineWard@hotmail.com English and German Text of Statements Attached and Below Prepared for Delivery 21/22 March 2010 in Munich, Germany By Michael J. Sweatt, National Survivor Advocates Coalition The National Survivor Advocates Coalition of the United States has come to this Cathedral to demonstrate our solidarity with the German survivors. The horrors they have survived – and daily live with — as victims of sexual abuse by priests are immense. We have come to bear witness before the German people to the courage it takes to come forward as a survivor of clergy sexual abuse. Words cannot express the nobility of this courage. We hope our presence here gives you some measure of our tremendous admiration for you and for those who have listened to you and acted. You, the survivors, are the heroes. We have come to let all Germans know you are not alone in facing a crisis that affects your children. While comfort is important, action is needed. There is a great deal that the people of Germany can do in this crisis. Please do not allow the horror of this crisis paralyze you and trap you in disbelief and shock. We vigorously urge you and all Germans of good will to aggressively pursue an independent inquiry of what happened to children in the care of the Church, no matter where or how high the pursuit of the truth leads. We commend Chancellor Angela Merkel in her call for an inquiry. But this must be clear. No real inquiry can be done by the Catholic Church. This inquiry must be done by law enforcement within the German government. Please use all effective means to convince your Chancellor and all elected government officials that wasted time, money and energy will be the only true results from an inquiry conducted by the Catholic Church. A real inquiry with be dependent on your Chancellor and legislators. The protection of children is dependent upon them. Access to justice for the survivors is dependent upon them. National pride in Pope Benedict is understandable — before the crisis, that is. We urge you not to be blinded by national pride and false or misdirected loyalty to the Catholic Church. Your loyalty must be first and foremost to the children who were raped and sodomized. They need you now like never before. Please do not confuse your genuine religious faith with a need to prop up bishops who hid criminal activity and therefore obstructed justice. These bishops are as guilty as the priest perpetrators. Please do not stop until you reach the truth, wherever it leads. The Catholic Church can judge it own sins but it cannot be jury and judge of its crimes. While you wait for results, cut off money to the Catholic Church. Revolt agains the use of your taxes going to the Catholic Church if you must. Tough times demand tough solutions. We speak from experience. We know truth has come only from grand jury investigations in the United States, lawsuits in the United States and reports such as the Murphy Report of the Irish Government. We know if money continues to flow to the bishops business as usual will continue for bishops no matter what lofty words they use, what contracts and covenants they write. Yes, this is a Good Friday for you. We walk with you in your sorrow and the weight of the burden of this knowledge. But you can have an Easter Sunday. For the sake of the children, you must work for it. We will work with you. If you do not work to reveal the Truth the very stones of this cathedral will cry out for justice. Contact Information: Michael Sweatt: 207-831-3791 (United States) Kristine Ward, Chair, National Survivor Advocates Coalition: 937-272-0308 (United States) deutschen Opfern zu bekunden.Die Qualen die sie durch den Missbrauch von Priestern erlitten haben, und jetzt taglich damit leben mussen, sind unermesslich. Wir sind hierher gekommen, um den unglaublichen Mut derer zu bekunden, die sich jetzt als Opfer des sexuellen Missbrauchs von Geistlichen zu erkennen geben. Worte konnen nicht ausdrucken, was dies fur einen Mut erfordert. Wir hoffen, unser Kommen gibt euch eine Ahnung unserer gro?en Bewunderung fur euch und den Leuten die euch zugehort und gehandelt haben. Ihr, die Opfer sind hier die Helden! Wir sind gekommen, um alle Deutschen wissen zu lassen, das ihr und eure Kinder in dieser Krise nicht allein seit. Obwohl Trost wichtig ist, jetzt ist es Zeit zum Handeln. Es gibt sehr viel, das die Deutschen in dieser Krise machen konnen. Lasst nicht zu, dass die Unglaublichkeit dieser Taten euch in Unglauben und Schock erstarren lasst. Wir mahnen euch und alle Deutschen eindringlich, ein unabhangiges Ermittlungsverfahren zu fordern, was mit den Kindern passiert ist, die sich in den Schutz der Kirche begeben haben. Dabei ist es vollig egal, wohin oder wie weit nach oben diese Wahrheit fuhrt. Wir unterstutzen Kanzlerin Angela Merkel in ihrem Aufruf nach Aufklarung. Aber eines muss klar sein. Echte Aufklarung kann es nicht durch die Katholische Kirche geben. Die Ermittlungsverfahren mussen von der Staatsanwaltschaft und der deutschen Regierung kommen. Lasst eure Kanzlerin und die gewahlten Volksvertreter wissen, das alles was bei einer internen Untersuchung der Katholischen Kirche herauskommt, verschwendete Zeit, Geld und Energie ist. Eine wirkliche Untersuchung hangt von der Kanzlerin und dem Gesetzgeber ab. Der Schutz der Kinder liegt ebenso in ihren Handen, wie der Anspruch auf Gerechtigkeit fur die Opfer . Nationaler Stolz auf Papst Benedikt ist vollig verstandlich. Wir mahnen, dass ihr euch nicht von nationalem Stolz oder falsch verstandener Loyalitat der Katholischen Kirche gegenuber blenden lasst. Eure Loyalitat muss zuerst euren Kindern gehoren, die vergewaltigt und geschlagen wurden. Sie brauchen euch wie nie zuvor. Bitte verwechselt nicht, eures aufrichtigen Glaubens wegen, Bischofe zu unterstutzen, die dies kriminellen Aktivitaten gedeckt haben und dadurch die Wahrheit vertuscht haben. Diese Bischofe sind genauso schuldig wie die kriminellen Priester.Bitte hort nicht auf, bis ihr die gesamte Wahrheit erfahrt. Egal wohin es auch immer fuhrt. Die Katholische Kirche kann ihre eigenen Sunden vergeben, sie kann aber auf keinen Fall Anklager und Richter ihrer Verbrechen sein. Wahrend ihr auf die Ergebnisse wartet, stoppt alle Spenden an die Katholische Kirche unt tretet aus der Kirche aus. Harte Zeiten verlangen harte Entscheidungen. Wir sprechen aus Erfahrung In den Vereinigten Staaten kam die Wahrheit erst nach Ermittlungen der Staatsanwaltschaft und Gerichtsverfahren heraus, ebenso wie in Irland nach den Murphy Report der Irischen Regierung. Wenn das Geld weiterhin in die Taschen der Bischofe flie?t, wird einfach alles wie bisher weitergehen, egal was fur hochfliegenden Phrasen sie euch erzahlen oder welche Abkommen sie unterschreiben werden. Ja, dies ist ein guter Freitag fur euch. Wir stehen bei euch in eurer Sorge und der Last eurer Burde. Aber ihr konnt den Ostersonntag feiern. Euren Kindern zuliebe, musst ihr dafur Arbeiten Wir werden euch helfen. Wenn ihr nicht daran arbeitet die Wahrheit zu enthullen, werden die Mauern dieser Kirche vor dieser Ungerechtigkeit aufschreien. Eine Koalition der Vereinigten Staaten ist in diese Kirche gekommen, um unsere Solidaritat mit den __._,_.___ National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC): Pope’s Letter Stings with a Puny Christianity and Blame Shifting, Devoid of Papal Responsibility and Unworthy of the Irish Survivors and Faithful Who Have Endured Great Suffering. NSAC: Read it and weep. NSAC Asks: When was it ever right in any time, circumstance, educational setting –particularly Catholic Church schools– to abuse innocent and vulnerable? Why wouldn’t Pope, bishops, priests, nuns know this? NSAC calls for re-routing of collection money in US and Ireland and Tax Revolt in Germany where tax money support Catholic Church March 20, 2010 For Immediate Release The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) issued a response today to Pope Benedict’s pastoral to the people of Ireland saying simply and directly “ read it and weep.” “The letter stings with a puny Christianity using holy language to deflect responsibility for the criminal acts of abusing children and the cover up of crimes, “ the coalition said. “The people descendant of the great St. Patrick, inseparable with the faith for centuries, and intrepid heralds of the Gospel to many nations are spoken to as though the scandal happened in a vacuum and Pope Benedict and the central government authority of the Church bear no responsibility for the actions of Irish bishops and priests trained, selected, placed and kept in power by the Vatican. “Simply writing the words ‘criminal activity’ does not mean and should not be confused with the Pope taking responsibility for the cover-up of crimes. “ the coalition said. “Like a shell game the letter shifts blame for the crisis on turbulent societal times, bad education of priests and the failure to apply canon law, “ the coalition said. Let it be resoundingly asked: When was it ever under any circumstance, time, or educational structure considered right to abuse the innocent and vulnerable, to sodomize and rape them, and to cover up these crimes ? We agree with Pope Benedict that the letter should be read in its entirety and judged in its entirety. As the survivors, the faithful and all men and women of goodwill read it, let is be remembered: Pope Benedict ran the Vatican office where cases of sexual abuse by priests have been piling up for years * Pope Benedict ran the Munich diocese where evidence has come forward of his knowledge of abuse by at least one priest before he ever headed a Vatican office * the Irish scandal does not exist in a vacuum, it follows the media revelations of scandals in Canada, the United States, Australia and co-exists with media revelations of scandal in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. “The Church has laryngitis in its moral voice and this letter is not the cure” the coalition. “Read it, “ the coalition said, “because knowledge is power.” “ Weep, “ the coalition said because: * it does not announce the removal of Cardinal Sean Brady as primate of Ireland * it does not include the acceptance of the resignations offered by Irish bishops * survivors are left without acknowledgement that a Pope who headed the Vatican office where sexual abuse cases have been piling up for decades knew of their plight and did nothing to stop the cover-up and come to their assistance * the Irish faithful and all men and women of goodwill are given an “apostolic visitation” as the answer to a deep seeded culture of secrecy that grievously wounds the innocent and vulnerable * the emphasis is on priests and there is not acknowlegement of abuse by nuns included in the church institutions and included in the Irish government reports. Until and unless there is true and substantial response to the crisis, the coalition urged: * Catholics in the United States and Ireland to re-route their collection money either to the direct suppliers of parish utilities and vendors of parish services bypassing diocesan assessments or give the money to trusted charities * Catholics in Germany to revolt against the use of tax monies to support the Catholic Church (taxes are the way churches are supported in Germany) In making its comments today, NSAC acknowledged the “noble courage” of the survivors that have come forward in Ireland and throughout the world and extended to them its solidarity “most particularly on this difficult day.”
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