A message from SNAPDFW’s facilitator, Lisa Kendzior
Acknowledge your courage
;)
It takes courage to acknowledge that we’ve been abused and it is not easy to even admit it to ourselves. Just browsing this website is a big step.Know that you are not alone!
If you’ve been victimized by clergy, please know that you are not alone. You can get better. You can reach out to others who’ve been hurt just like you have.
Together, we can heal one another.
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;)
After 9 years of defying US courts, Vatican succumbs to 1 survivor's demand that the silence surrounding his abuse be ceased
Vatican Radio website has announced that the Vatican has released documents ordered by a United States court. For nine grueling years in court, a single survivor of clergy abuse has prevailed in a landmark, precedent setting battle against the 'immunity' that the Roman church hierarchy uses to shirk responsibility for the global atrocities of priest sexual abuse, and the cover-up of those atrocities by the Roman hierarchy.
Although victim "John Doe" continues, rightfully, to demand his own identity be protected, what will not be protected any longer is the evidence the Vatican has secreted away about his abuse.
SNAP national -- also, rightfully so -- has focused on the last-ditch release of the records as further showing just how far the church will go to trivialize and re-victimize the survivors to protect itself.
"If anyone is tempted to see any kind of ‘silver lining’ in this, it’s important to keep in mind that the highest echelons of the Catholic hierarchy have been fighting this disclosure for nine years." -- SNAP spokesperson Barbara Dorris
Read the full story in today's Irish Times ...
Read SNAP's response in today's Irish Times ...
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Irish news discovers evidence of extensive abuse and coverup by already disgraced Catholic religious order
The Irish Independent has obtained hundreds of pages of documents about the dreadful living conditions of vulnerable children in the care of the Brothers of Charity at Lota residential facility in Glanmire, Co Cork. But it is understood that the documents were not made available to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which condemned the Brothers of Charity in the 2009 Ryan Report.
It begs serious questions about how many other documents detailing horrific abuse may have slipped under the commission's radar.
Read the full story in yesterday's Irish Independent ...
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Traditional church hierarchy of power, domination breaking down, says Catholic Religious women's conference keynote
Confronting the institutional domination of authoritarian cultures such as Roman Catholicism is a global indication of the presence and actvity of "Ruah" the Holy Spirit. So says Sr. Maricarmen Bracamontes during the general assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Aug. 11.Bracamontes, coordinator of the theology team advising the Confederation of Latin American and Caribbean Religious, said these phenomena represent a shift in power that can be truly transformational when it is based on Jesus who rejected power that was abusive, and who emulated, instead, compassionate love.
Read: "Sisters listen and act on confronting institutional domination" in the National Catholic Reporter --
http://ncronline.org/news/women-religio ... domination
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Ireland's papal nuncio recalled after prime minister blasts 'elitism, narcissism' of Roman church in sex abuse crisis
Speaking to the Irish Parliament last week, Irish prime minster Enda Kenny attacked the "dysfunction, disconnection, elitism, the narcissism" within the upper echelon of the Roman Catholic Church. In reaction, the Vatican has recalled its ambassador to Ireland (called, in Rome, a "papal nuncio"). And according to news analysis from Ireland today, Mr. Kenny's comments have seriously eroded the once rock-solid relationship between the Vatican and Ireland.
In Ireland, the reception to Mr Kenny's withering remarks - which came after the devastating report criticising the Church's handling of clerical sex abuse in the diocese of Cloyne, Co Cork, was published - has been nothing short of sensational.
"Victims of clerical abuse have bravely spoken out, while many ordinary practicing Catholics have applauded the intervention." -- Scotsman News analysis, 26 July 2011
Read Scotsman News Analysis: Catholic church's power over the state has been broken ...
Read: 'Vatican recalls ambassador' in The Guardian (United Kingdom), 25 July, 2011 ...
Watch: Video of Irish leader's speech attacking Vatican elitism in The NY Times...
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Irish Prime Minister says Roman hierarchy puts 'power and reputation of the church ahead of child rape victims'
In a scathing public tongue-lashing of Roman clericalism, legalism, cover-up and church-based protection of perpetrator priests, Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny, the highest ranking political leader in this Roman church dominated nation, made a direct allusion to the name from the pantheon of catholic saints self-chosen by the current pope:"Far from listening to evidence of humiliation and betrayal with St Benedict's "ear of the heart"......the Vatican's reaction was to parse and analyse it with the gimlet eye of a canon lawyer.
"This calculated, withering position being the polar opposite of the radicalism, humility and compassion upon which the Roman Church was founded."
-- Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny
In making such a public declaration, Kenny spoke for victims and survivors of Roman priests and their bishop co-conspirators worldwide.
"No high ranking government official anywhere in the world has denounced atrocities committed by church officials as Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has. We commend him for speaking out about how the Roman Catholic hierarchy has put “… the power and reputation of the Church ahead of child rape victims.” These are words of comfort to the thousands of survivors of abuse.
"Mr. Kenny is the first government leader to demand accountability not only from his nation’s bishops but from the Vatican. We applaud his courage and we urge other world leaders to follow his example."
-- Barbara Blaine, President, SNAP USA
Read: SNAP President Barbara Blaine's full response 'Victims thank Taoiseach Enda Kenny' here ...
Watch: Video of the Kenny speech here ...
Read the full speech by the Prime Minister here -> Read More...
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'Worst possible candidate' appointed by Rome to PA diocese under seige for endangering children and protecting perps
The pope has appointed Charles Chaput of Denver to head the besieged Philadelphia archdiocese, replacing a cardinal, Justin Regali on whose watch the archdiocese came under fire following 3 grand-jury reports, the latest in February of this year, accusing the Archdiocese of a widespread cover-up of predatory priests over decades.Barbara Blaine, national director of SNAP, called Regali's replacement, Chaput, "the worst possible candidate" for the job.
'He should have been fired in Denver, not transferred to Philadelphia." -- Bob Hoatson, Road to Recovery
To see Jusin Regali's record, all you have to do is read the three Philadelphia grand jury reports since 2003.
Here is Chaput's record on abuse. Judge for yourself:
CHAPUT ON REPORTING ABUSE
--- He has been accused of underreporting abuse in his diocese.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/us ... nverco.htm
CHAPUT ON DISCLOSURE
--- He has attempted to sidestep the transparency of the court system by bullying victims into a church-run mediation. The mediation had no promises of discovery, disclosure, or public release of sex abuse cover-up documents.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ne ... hReady.htm
No promises of disclosure.
CHAPUT ON THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
--- He fought against anti-crime legislation that would reform the statute of limitations for child sex offenders.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ne ... ingThe.htm
CHAPUT ON BACKGROUND CHECKS
--- He has not confirmed whether or not he does background checks on priests in the archdiocese. They don't do background checks on volunteers.
CHAPUT ON PLAYING 'LEGAL HARDBALL' WITH RAPE VICTIMS
http://www.usccb.org/ocyp/2010-Internat ... riests.pdf
CHAPUT ON TRANSPARENCY IN THE ABUSE CRISIS
--- Because of anger at their exposure of child sex crimes and cover-up, Chaput held a childish and punitive six-year grudge against the New York Times, refusing to speak with reporters about sex abuse in his diocese and his Vatican-appointed investigation for serial predator Marcial Maciel
http://www.mediaite.com/online/archbish ... t-boycott/
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Bishop-secretary to 3 popes presided over child endangerment and abuse, says 'damning' Cloyne report
A report published on Wednesday faulted the Ireland Diocese of Cloyne for failing to inform police about allegations of clerical sex abuse from 1996-2009, including cases in which the alleged victims were still minors at the time of the accusations.The report also characterized the Vatican as "entirely unhelpful," for downplaying the child protection policies that Irish church leaders established in 1996, but failed to follow. The report concluded that, in the case of Cloyne, those policies were "not fully or consistently implemented."
Speaking before the Irish parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Enda Kenny described the report as "damning."
Read: "Irish Government Releases 'Damning' Abuse Report" in Religion News Service Vatican City ...
Read: "Report by Commission of Investigation into Catholic Diocese of Cloyne" on Ireland's Department of Justice and Equality website ...
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Expert in Canon Law warns: Church's destructive 'dark side' evident in sexual abuse of children and adults by priests is systemic
"The phenomenon of sexual abuse of minors and adults by Catholic clergy and nuns is more than the violation of innocent people and the criminal cover-up by the erroneously labeled “leaders” of the institutional Church.
It is the mind and soul boggling revelation, over a long period of time, of the reality that there is a very dark side to the Church. It is a revelation that this long nightmare is part of the very fabric of the institution and not an embarrassing and destructive problem that is extraneous to the institution."
-- Canon Law expert Thomas Doyle
Read the Tom Doyle's entire speech as he presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Sipe at the SNAP National Conference, July 10, 2011 here.
Read More...
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The Vatican has announced that the pope has accepted the resignation of Daniel Walsh, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa, CA.
The diocese has been hit with several lawsuits under Walsh's tenure involving alleged child sex abuse by former priests.
Reports say that in 2006, Walsh was threatened with criminal charges for failing to report accusations of misconduct against Xavier Ochoa, a priest in his employ, for five days after the priest admitted the abuses to Walsh. Authorities said the delay allowed Ochoa time to flee to Mexico before he could be arrested.
Walsh underwent 'counseling' and was not charged. The priest is still at large. And the victims remain ignored.
Read the full story on the KTVU San Jose website...
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The 23rd victim to report being molested by a notorious FW predator priest has settled out of court with the Fort Worth Roman Catholic Diocese. Financial terms were not disclosed. The priest, James Reilly, died in 1999.
The victim's attorney, Tahira Khan Merritt of Dallas, strongly criticized the diocese, saying its officials were interested in "preserving their secrets." She urged victims to go to law enforcement rather than the church.
In 1976 a plaque was placed on a children center building named after Reilly on the St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church campus in Arlington, TX. The plaque read, in part, "His love for children brings men nearer to the Lord." Victims insisted the plaque be removed following a 2006 settlement against the diocese that also involved the priest.
SNAPDFW urges anyone with any knowledge of abuse by this predator to contact law enforcement officials, and not the church.
Read: Serial molester's victim settles with Fort Worth diocese ...
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Priest accused of abusing pastoral authority to seduce a parishioner files counter suit challenging constitutionality of abuse law
A priest in Ramsey County, Minnesota is currently being accused of abusing his pastoral authority over a parishioner in order to seduce her into a sexual encounter. Now the priest is challenging the constitutionality of the law upon which the felony criminal charge against him has been brought, claiming that it is "an overly broad attempt to regulate sexual behavior."County prosecutors have replied that the constitutionality of the law has been previously upheld in court, and that it would be dangerous and inconsistent to grant license to pastors which is not granted to other professionals--such as doctors, therapists, or social workers--in their interaction with clients.
Ramsey County prosecutors write,
"Like statutes prohibiting sexual relationships between patients and doctors, therapists, counselors and social workers, the power imbalance created in the clergy-counselee relationship lies at the heart of criminalizing any sexual relationship that may develop."
Minnesota and Texas are two of the states that have laws on the books for clergy as well as for others in the helping professions.
SNAPDFW has compiled a page of resources for survivors victimized by clergy as adults. See the link below.
- Read: St. Paul priest challenges sex charges ... in the St. Paul StarTribune
- Read: Resources for Survivors of Abuse Who Were Victimized as Adults ... on the SNAPDFW website ...
- Read: Why it is NOT an affair (Psychological Effects of Abuse) ... on the SNAP National website.
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Pop TV preacher and book seller falls on sword for allegations of abuse, after holding 'Ordination Anniversary Sale'
Pop Catholic televangelist and Roman Catholic priest John Corapi, who has been accused of abusing one of his followers, has decided to abort the investigation against him by quitting the priesthood. One week before announcing his departure, however, the company Corapi owns to sell his right wing Catholic preaching books, tried to clear its inventory with a Corapi "Ordination Anniversary Sale!!" As far as we know, the sale is still going on, in case anyone is interested.
As we reported here recently, Corapi has been secretly under investigation by his catholic order of priests for allegations that he raped one of his followers.
Today, however, in an arrogant flourish of blinding self-righteousness, Corapi quit the priesthood.
Posturing as an innocent victim/martyr, Corapi "courageously" fell on his sword while:
- Blaming the victim he claims to have only "loved";
- Blaming the bishop-hierarchs (strange "bedfellow," eh?);
- Perpetrating one last rip off of his Catholic faithful followers with an "Ordination Anniversary Sale!!" to clear the inventory of his personal and privately owned book company one week before his announcement to quit.
Read: 'Father Corapi Has Lost It' in the National Catholic Register ...
[ view entry ] ( 569 views ) | permalink | related link
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