SNAP responds to Pope’s planned letter to Irish Catholics re Irish clergy abuse
From an email from SNAP’s Barbara Dorris.
Thanks, Barb, and thanks for all you do for survivors.
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urvivors Network of those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, Dec. 11, 2009
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home)
The Pope professes to be “outraged” by horrific, extensive clergy sex crimes and cover ups in Ireland. That’s what his predecessor claimed about horrific, extensive clergy sex crimes and cover ups in the US.
But claims of ‘outrage’ protect no one. Nor will a letter from Rome to Ireland.
Instead of writing a letter, we hope the Pope takes action. Action, not words, protect innocent kids and heal wounded victims.
Specifically, we oppose a papal letter, a papal apology, a papal visit and/or a papal meeting with victims. Such moves are purely symbolic and only lead to premature complacency and assumptions of reform.
If the Pope genuinely cares, we urge him to
- oust the Irish papal nuncio who ignored a request to help with the Irish government’s abuse probe,
- oust complicit church officials who ignored or concealed suspicions and knowledge of crimes,
- discipline Vatican staffers who ignored the government’s request for help and records, and
- push for the launching of similar investigations into other dioceses, in Ireland and across the world.
Symbolic gestures are damage control and public relations, nothing more. Vulnerable children and suffering adults need and deserve real reform.
Pope will write letter to Irish Catholics on abuse
(AP) – 21 minutes ago
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI says he is “deeply disturbed and distressed” by a child sex-abuse scandal in Ireland and will write a letter to Catholics there on the church’s response.
Benedict met Friday with senior Irish clergy in the wake of a report detailing the abuse.
The report was issued last month after a government-ordered investigation into the Dublin Archdiocese. It found that the church shielded more than 100 child-abusing priests from the law.
The Vatican said after the 90-minute talks that the letter to the faithful of Ireland “will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.”
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
8 Responses to “SNAP responds to Pope’s planned letter to Irish Catholics re Irish clergy abuse”
December 11, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Well, so what did you expect? Change we can believe in? Where have I heard that one before? Sexual addiction is a powerful one. The addict doesn’t surrender his will easily. Or willingly. When you can pay for your crimes with someone else”s money, well, let the good times roll. The child that is raped today won’t be able to talk about it until he is in his forties, so what’s the hurry? What really is amusing to me is that we keep expecting that somehow, Cardinals, Bishops and the Pope will change. They won’t. They are laughing up their sleeves that so many are still giving to “the corrupt church.” Revelation:2:18 If only people could hear the truth of God’ word without the Catholic spin, everyone would be a protestant. By the way, what happened to the fighting between Catholic’s and Protestants in Ireland? At least the Irish came out of the ether. Kurt Gladsky Founder: Christian Brothers Sexual Abuse Survivors Network.
December 11, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I do not know what to say anymore. I say it over and over until I am blue in the face. Without structural change to the organization that demands transparency from every parish in every matter, we don’t really stand a chance of changing anything.
December 11, 2009 at 9:55 pm
The Pope is “Distressed and Shocked”. Yeah, Right! And if you believe that one, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.
December 11, 2009 at 10:20 pm
[...] SNAP responds to Pope’s planned letter to Irish Catholics re Irish clergy abuse [...]
December 11, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I second everything that David Clohessy says here. There’s nothing emptier than an apology with no meaningful changes in behavior, no significant actions taken and no restitution made.
At the same time, if you look at the dictionary definition of apology (“a written or spoken expression of one’s regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another”), the Pope’s “letter” to the Irish, though it be a small and empty gesture, is fraught with danger for the Vatican. Any admission of guilt or complicity, to the Irish or to any other group, would add some weight to the rulings by the 6th Circuit and the 9th Circuit in the U.S., rulings that the Holy See is not entitled to soverign immunity and can be sued as the employer of abusive priests. I’m guessing that the Pope’s “letter” won’t come close to an apology and that a couple of Archbishops and maybe the Irish papal nuncio will be retired, not fired.
Point being, as empty as it is, this is not an easy letter for the Pope’s men to write. It could easily become Exhibit “A” in any number of lawsuits.
December 12, 2009 at 5:29 am
If the Pope were so outraged by this immense scandal in the Church…he would drop all of this mickey mouse activity which justifies nothing, ie. sanctioning (good) vocal priests, continuing with the inquisition of American nuns, etc……and investigate all male clerics with the same survey that has slapped American female religious in the face. And before he does anything else…he should roll up his sleeves and purify this Church before it is too late. Once this filth is recorded as history (and the world will not let it rest)….the Church will carry this mark through time for the next 10,000 years. If a Pope ever wanted to be remembered as a good pope…he would do only good!
December 12, 2009 at 10:44 am
When the pope visited the USA he quietly and secretively met with victims in Boston. At that time he was told that there is a “cancer” in his church. When a person is told they have cancer they begin to undergo a strenuous regime of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It takes months, or longer, in most cases – and hopefully in the end the cancer is gone. Just sitting back and doing nothing does not remove the cancer. “Wishing it would go away” does not cure the cancer. It takes firm aggressive action.
The Vatican has NOT taken firm aggressive action. That would require the pope to resign (because of his letter in the 1960’s on how to “handle” sexual abuse by clergy,) and any and ALL bishops and Cardinals (and all others who had a hand in the dealing) who covered up offenses in the past should also have to retire in disgrace — and not be apponted to ANYTHING. Let their “ministry” come to an abrupt end — as did the life and spirit of victims of clergy abuse.
December 12, 2009 at 1:45 pm
The Pope has stated he is ‘outraged, distressed, and deeply disturbed’ by the child abuse scandal in Ireland and is preparing a letter of response to Irish Catholics. Letters and apologies are formalities and not actions that would make a difference. What if the Pope would discipline or fire church officials who ignored or concealed knowledge of clergy sex abuse?