NJ–Victims urge archbishop to act on abuse in waning days

NEW JERSEY
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Statement by Mark Crawford, NJ State Director, SNAP 732-632-7687

The head of New Jersey’s largest Catholic jurisdiction, Newark Archbishop John Myers, is 75, the age at which prelates submit their resignations to Rome. We hope Pope Francis replaces him quickly.

In the days ahead, Myers should take five steps to better protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded and expose the truth.

[NJ.com]

Specifically, Myers should:

· have a letter read at all parishes on Sunday calling on anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered abuse to come forward, contact secular authorities and seek help.

· post names and work histories of all archdiocesan and religious clergy who have worked within the archdiocese and have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse on the church websites and in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Advocate, so kids will be safer.

· publicly release the files of all clergy who are proven, admitted or credibly accused abusers, so others will be safe and those who have been harmed will know they are not alone.

· order the church lawyers and lobbyists of the Catholic Conference to stop opposing statute of limitations reform for those sexually abused as children and support the passage of better child safety laws, eliminating any statute of limitations for child sexual abuse.

· ensure all diocesan and religious order priests in the archdiocese who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse no longer have access to children and are in a secure and permanently supervised environment.

We don’t know Archbishop Myers will do going forward. But we know what he has not done in the 15 years he has had the opportunity to act.

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