UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Sunday, Sept. 20
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
We believe Francis will meet soon, likely in DC, with a handful of carefully-chosen victims in a tightly-choreographed setting. And we’re convinced that it will be essentially meaningless.
It will bring short term joy to some but real healing to few and protection to no one.
Almost every survivor cares most about prevention. That’s also what helps us heal best: knowing that our pain prompts action that might spare even one child a lifetime of devastation from sexual violence.
Francis and his colleagues, however, refuse to take that action. Brave and bold on other topics, here Francis plays it safe and timid. He and his underlings prefer to talk ‘healing.’ It’s safer, easier, less controversial and more comfortable than the hard work of prevention. (The more skeptical would also point out that it’s more self-serving to talk ‘healing’ than initiate reform.)
Kids are safer when we acknowledge that every day, several boys and girls are being sexually assaulted by Catholic clerics. Every day, thousands of Catholic officials selfishly sit on secrets about child molesting clerics that police and prosecutors could use to pursue and prosecute these criminals.
So we beg Francis to stop acting like the abuse and cover ups are over and that only healing is needed. That’s disingenuous and dangerous.
Many victims feel worse, not better, when we see papal photo ops and other symbolic moves that do more to help church officials’ reputations and church members’ morale than truly help vulnerable kids and wounded survivors.
Popes have met with victims before. These meetings breed complacency. Again, they do nothing for prevention. And the ‘healing’ they provide for a tiny handful of carefully-chosen victims is usually very short lived.
Boston survivor Bernie McDaid was among the few victims at the 2008 meeting with Pope Benedict. He now says such a meeting with Francis would serve no purpose, because it would be symbolic and not substantive, arguing that church officials continue to treat victims poorly.
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