CHICAGO (IL)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Victims to Archbishop: Fire your review board
They OK’ed admitted child predator for ministry, even after Priest yanked in LA for abusive past
Chicago board refused to meet with victim
Newly exposed documents say cleric would have no unsupervised contact with kids
But cleric still works with kids, presents himself as priest
Archdiocese, Cupich defies zero tolerance vow, group says
What: At a sidewalk news conference, victims of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church will attempt to hand-deliver a letter to the Chicago Archbishop. The letter cites a Chicago Tribune story about an admitted predator priest in Chicago. It also demands that Archbishop Blase Cupich:
– Fire all members of the lay review board for allowing the admitted predator to be reinstated as a priest,
– Remove the cleric from any location and job where he can have access to kids, and
– Make public announcements, post online warnings to all churches, groups, and neighborhoods about the priest’s past.
The letter also:
– Exposes new letters to the victim from church officials that state that the cleric would not be allowed alone with children,
– Shows how Cupich is not following the letter or the spirit of zero tolerance, and
– Highlights how the cleric is still working as a priest around families and children.
Where: Outside of the headquarters of the Chicago Archdiocese
835 N. Rush St. (at Pearson) in Chicago
When: Wednesday, January 6 at 1:30 p.m.
Who: Two-three members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPNetwork.org), including a Chicago woman who is the organization’s founder and long-time president
Why: Newly exposed documents show that the Archdiocese of Chicago and their lay review board reinstated a priest who admitted to sexually abusing a child, even after church officials promised the victim that cleric would have no unsupervised contact with kids.
As a result, sex abuse victims are giving a letter to Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich demanding that he fire his lay review board members, take action to ensure that an admitted abuser has no contact with children, and keep his promises of zero tolerance when it comes to sexual abuse.
A new page one Chicago Tribune story reveals that a Chicago priest, Fr. Bruce Wellems, has admitted to sexually abusing a seven-year-old, while he was an older teen. Despite the admission and the fact that the priest was removed from the LA Archdioces for breaking the US Catholic Bishops’ policy of zero tolerance, the cleric was reinstated in Chicago and still works with families and children. The Chicago Archdiocese Lay Review Board, the group in charge of investigating sex abuse cases, did not meet with Wellems’ victim during their review of the case.
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