PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003 cell, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org)
In an insulting but shrewd public relations move, Altoona’s bishop is holding self-serving “healing” events instead of protecting kids through decisive action. http://dioceseaj.org/node/1075
In the 147 page grand jury report, released two months ago, perhaps the most disturbing fact is that the jurors are “concerned the purge of predators is taking too long.”
That’s where the focus should be – removing predators – not holding “healing” events. Altoona Catholic officials should concentrate on protecting vulnerable kids, not winning back upset parishioners.
Their priorities are backwards.
Such services are nothing more than public relations. They don’t protect a single child, expose a single predator, punish a single concealer or deter a single cover up.
Bishop Mark Bartchak should take tangible steps so that the church no longer will need to hold such events. The goal should be no more victims.
As we’ve said before, Bartchak refuses to
–discipline even a single wrongdoer identified in the grand jury report,
–fire a nun who deals with victims and was blasted in the grand jury report,
–replace his review board members who the report called “biased,”
–even oust ONE review board member who refused to answer questions by grand jurors,
–discipline or even denounce a priest who verbally attacked police, prosecutors and jurors,
–alert bishops in Florida, South Carolina, Colorado, West Virginia into whose dioceses Altoona predator priests were quietly sent (and may still be living), or
–aggressively beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police, using pulpit announcements and church websites and parish bulletins.
We’re reminded of the famous fast food ad of years past that popularized the phrase “Where’s the beef?” In this case, it’s “Where’s the action?” The short answer is: In Altoona, it’s sorely lacking.
The grand jury concluded “Nothing has changed” in the Altoona diocese with respect to abuse reports. And nothing WILL change unless Altoona citizens and Catholics insist that Barchak stop the words, apologies, promises and excuses and start showing leadership, and begin by speeding up the purge of predators from parishes.
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