ROME
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, Feb. 6
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com , davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
The latest church abuse panel, meeting now in Rome, is to “come up with best practices for dioceses and religious orders to implement” (AP) and “propose ways for the church to improve its norms and procedures.” (Catholic News Service).
But if my house is filthy, I don’t need to learn “best cleaning practices.” I just need to start sweeping out the dirt.
That’s what Pope Francis must do. But that’s what he hasn’t done and won’t do. The dirt is just too widespread.
It’s a lack of decisive action, not a lack of ‘norms,’ that keeps predators in parishes and abuse cover ups covered up. No plethora of procedures can or will force bishops to be honest about child molesting clerics and responsible about innocent childrens safety.
Since royalty are never demoted or disciplined in a monarchy, clearer or “better” or more procedures do nothing but create the image of reform. So we have few hopes for this panel. Whatever it recommends will be adopted and then ignored because this pope, like his predecessors, lacks the spine to fire corrupt men like Archbishop John Neinstedt or Bishop Robert Finn.
Or Philippine Bishop Arturo Mandin Bastes who right now is keeping a known abuser, Fr. Arwyn N. Diesta, in ministry. (Fr. Diesta worked in the Los Angeles archdiocese in the 1980s and abused a young teen seminarian there. Three times Sorsogon diocesan officials were warned about Fr. Diesta – twice by Cardinal Roger Mahony and once by the Vatican. Yet Bishop Bastes puts youngsters in harm’s way today by keeping Fr. Diesta on the job.)
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.