PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
for immediate release: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
Less than 48 hours after Pope Francis said “those who have covered up (abuse) are guilty,” the Philadelphia Inquirer has disclosed that Archbishop Charles Chaput is quietly working to keep secrets about a pedophile priest.
Francis made strong promises, including that “abuse cannot be kept secret any longer” and “all responsible will be held accountable.”
Chaput apparently disagrees.
In a wrongful-death suit in Common Pleas Court,” Chaput’s lawyers are trying to block discovery, the Inquirer reports. The case involves “the family of Sean McIlmail – a Willow Grove man who died of a drug overdose in 2013 while struggling to come to terms with his alleged victimization by a priest.”
– pointed to the pope’s calls for transparency in a motion (filed Monday) arguing against archdiocesan efforts to block discovery in an ongoing wrongful-death suit in Common Pleas Court,” reports the Inquirer.
In 2006, Pope Benedict, discussing the abuse and cover up crisis, said “It is important to establish the truth of what happened.”
Chaput is contracting the expressed desires of two popes by his continued use of parishioners’ donations to keep abuse and cover ups covered up.
We hope Philly Catholics and citizens will pressure Chaput to reverse his hurtful, self-serving legal maneuvers and let the truth surface about clerics who committed and are concealing child sex crimes.
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