PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, May 15, 2014
Statement by Judy Jones of St. Louis, Midwest Assistant Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 636 433 2511, 314 974 5003, snapjudy@gmail.com )
Here’s our question today for Bishop Zubik: Why wait? Why not write to every alum of every Pittsburgh Catholic school and beg them to come forward if they were hurt by any priest, nun, brother, seminarian or teacher?
That’s what a truly caring shepherd would do.
Years ago, Pittsburgh Catholic officials had a choice: do real outreach to clergy sex abuse victims or to pretend to do real outreach to clergy sex abuse victims.
They opted to pretend.
The result is clear: credibly accused child molesting clerics who might have been exposed, ousted or even criminally prosecuted years ago were not. Victims who might have gotten help or felt relieved did not. A cancer in the diocese that could have been removed more quickly was not.
Instead, for years, child molesting clerics stayed “under the radar.” Some of them stayed on the job in schools and churches. Some of them quietly moved on, getting other positions near kids. Some quietly resigned.
And for years, victims – perhaps dozens of them – have suffered in silence, shame and self-blame, believing they were the only ones, fearing their truth would never surface, needlessly blaming themselves.
Who knows how many other proven, admitted and credibly accused priests, nuns, brothers, seminarians, coaches, or teachers are still under the radar.
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