ALABAMA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, June 19
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 503 0003, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org )
Shame on Mobile Archbishop Thomas Rodi for spending parishioners’ donations to keep secrets about an accused predator priest.
[AL.com]
Again, church lawyers are trying to make sure that Fr. Johnny Savoie won’t have to answer questions about his alleged child sex crimes under oath.
In February 2014, Savoie disclosed to his parishioners that he had been accused of molesting a child in Fairhope, Alabama. Earlier this year, the allegation surfaced during a separate civil lawsuit brought by several families charging bullying at Savoie’s parish school. Archdiocesan officials did not publicly announce the abuse report, nor did they suspend or remove Savoie during their purported investigation.
Fr. Savoie continues as pastor of St. Pius church (with a parochial school) in Mobile.
Rodi and his top aides are being incredibly risky and callous. They’re violating the official national Catholic church abuse policy. And they are putting kids at risk of horrific pain.
But if that’s not bad enough, Rodi is wasting thousands of dollars, generously given to the archdiocese by caring Catholics, trying to keep Savoie’s wrongdoing hidden.
If Rodi refuses to show caution – by suspending Savoie – we call on him to show some sensitivity to donors and fidelity to church policy by letting Savoie be questioned about his sexual misdeeds with a teenager.
And we call on anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered Savoie’s misdeeds or Rodi’s cover ups to come forward, speak up, call police, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.
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