RHODE ISLAND
Providence Journal
By Karen Lee Ziner
Journal Staff Writer Posted Sep. 24, 2015
Ann Hagan Webb, Rhode Island coordinator for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says “SNAP phones have been ringing off the hook” from callers upset by the pope’s visit to the United States this week.
“They have been triggered by the pope coming because there’s like a love fest going on with the public and the press, despite him not really doing anything about the [clergy] abuse crisis,” says Webb. “That drives people crazy, including me.”
Survivors were recommending “self-care,” Webb said. “Limiting exposure to the pope in the media, reaching out to each other … . We are all wishing the visit was over … . It’s so easy for us to access our shame and embarrassment regardless of how many years we spent overcoming it.”
A psychologist, Webb was victimized by a Warwick priest who is now deceased, she said. “Personally, it [the pope’s visit] has brought old PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] symptoms of anxiety, agitation and hyper-vigilance back when I least expected it,” said Webb.
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