HARRISBURG (PA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
May 1, 2025
Dear SNAP Community,
Hello from Rome!
The SNAP community has been active around the globe, and we have a lot to share.
Conference News:
We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for the SNAP 2025 Conference in Harrisburg! This milestone is thanks to the incredible work of Eduardo Lopez de Casas, Amber Perez, and the entire SNAP Conference Working Group.
Visit our website to:
Details about speakers and breakout sessions will be coming soon—stay tuned!
Global Advocacy Update from Rome:
Since the pope’s death, our Global Advocacy team has been on the ground in Rome, sharing SNAP’s demands for:
- Zero tolerance for abuse in the Catholic Church
- The selection of a new pope with no history of covering up abuse
Our efforts have been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Boston Globe, and more. You can find the full coverage on the Conclave Watch website.
Press Conference:
Yesterday, we held a powerful press conference here in Rome, opening with a special video message from survivor Arthur Budzinski, whose story was featured in the Mea Maxima Culpa, the documentary by Alex Gibney.
📹 Watch the full video here on our Facebook page.
Call for Information:
We’ve issued a global call for information about abuse or cover-up involving Catholic cardinals. We’ve already received reports from South Africa, Malawi, Fiji, Tonga, France, Belgium, Malta, Hungary, and across the U.S.
If you are a survivor, whistleblower, or witness, please contact us at info@conclavewatch.org.
Petition for Zero Tolerance:
In collaboration with Change.org, SNAP launched a petition demanding zero tolerance for abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church. We’re so close to 20,000 signatures!
Thanks to Mary Dispenza, our Pacific Northwest leader, for courageously sharing her story to support this effort.
🖊️ Sign and share the petition here
Media Highlights:
SNAP members continue to make waves:
- Paul Short wrote a powerful piece backing our zero tolerance campaign published in the Albuquerque Journal last week: “As Catholics around the world mourn the passing of Pope Francis, the Church stands at a crossroads. With the upcoming conclave, the cardinals have a rare and solemn opportunity: to finally chart a new course. One that acknowledges the full scope of the clergy abuse crisis and begins to repair the trust so grievously broken. But let’s be clear: This cannot happen if the next pope has any history of shielding abusers.”
- Mark Crawford, leader of SNAP in New Jersey is speaking out for survivors as the N.J. Supreme Court hears arguments that will determine the fate of the state’s clergy abuse investigation: “The whole truth has not been told, and that’s why it takes society and a grand jury investigation to one, expose what they still have hidden, and two, to help those victims who were abused heal.”
If you’ve been involved in media or advocacy work, we’d love to hear about it. Please email us!
Support Our Mission:
If you believe in SNAP’s mission to support survivors and demand accountability, please consider making a donation.
Every contribution helps us promote justice and healing for survivors of religious and institutional abuse worldwide.
💙 Donate here
With gratitude and solidarity,
The SNAP Global Advocacy Working Group