Abuse Survivors Group SNAP Seeks Resignation of Bishop Zubik; Calls Him "Callous and Dangerous Outlier"

By Andrew Goldstein
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
August 15, 2018

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2018/08/15/SNAP-bishop-david-zubik-catholic-diocese-pittsburgh-grand-jury-sexual-abuse-priests/stories/201808150139

The world’s largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings Wednesday called for Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik to step down a day after the state Supreme Court released a grand jury report on sexual abuse by priests at six Pennsylvania dioceses.

The group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said Bishop Zubik is denying that the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh covered up sexual abuse of children by priests despite “overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

At a news conference Tuesday at diocese offices Downtown, Bishop Zubik denied any cover-up under his watch or that of his predecessor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

“Virtually every other governmental inquiry into Catholic scandals across the world has reached almost the exact conclusions,” SNAP said in a news release. “Most other U.S. bishops have admitted, at some level, in vague terms, that cover ups have happened. (We're firmly convinced that cover ups are going on now.) In this sense, Zubik is a callous and dangerous outlier.”The world’s largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings Wednesday called for Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik to step down a day after the state Supreme Court released a grand jury report on sexual abuse by priests at six Pennsylvania dioceses.

The group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said Bishop Zubik is denying that the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh covered up sexual abuse of children by priests despite “overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

At a news conference Tuesday at diocese offices Downtown, Bishop Zubik denied any cover-up under his watch or that of his predecessor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

“Virtually every other governmental inquiry into Catholic scandals across the world has reached almost the exact conclusions,” SNAP said in a news release. “Most other U.S. bishops have admitted, at some level, in vague terms, that cover ups have happened. (We're firmly convinced that cover ups are going on now.) In this sense, Zubik is a callous and dangerous outlier.”