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	Papal Visit 2008: Many Still Wonder If Pope Will Address Church Sex Abuse Crisis NY1 April 14, 2008 http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=80512 A man who says he was raped by priests at a Brooklyn Catholic school as a child tells his story for the first time. He spoke to NY1s Cheryl Wills as speculation continues over whether Pope Benedict XVI will address the church sex abuse crisis during his visit to the United States. Joe Byrnes is 78 years old, but he is still haunted by his childhood. "The priest would be waiting for me outside the classroom, says Byrnes. He mentioned it to the nun, teacher that he was going to teach me some new tricks and the tricks turned out to be abuse." Byrnes is speaking out as an executive of a group called SNAP, which stands for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. The group has a strong message for Pope Benedict XVI: apologize for the crisis and meet with survivors of abuse. "I want him to say, I will start accountability for those victims who have been abused, says Byrnes. SNAP is not the only organization calling for the pope to take a stand. Another group, Voice of the Faithful recently took out a full page ad in the New York Times, also calling for justice. The group estimates more than 4,000 priests are accused of abusing 11,000 young people between 1950 and 2002. It's not clear if the pope will address the crisis, but some theologians, speaking at a recent teleconference, believe the pontiff will discuss the matter. "I think that Pope Benedict will probably either in St. Patrick's or when he meets with the bishops will express his sorrow for the victims " the children who were so terribly harmed by these priests. He is well aware of the problem, said Georgetown University theologian Thomas Reese. But others believe the pope will not go far enough. Michael Dowd is an attorney who has represented dozens of victims of priest sex abuse. "I suspect that he will do nothing, said Dowd. And that he will repeat apologies that after six years are nothing more than empty words." Byrnes, one of Dowds clients, believes that if the pope does not address the issue, the church will suffer in the long run. "They are losing parishioners because of the abuse, says Byrnes. After confirmation, they never see them again. And they don't want their kids with this type of stuff." Will such pleas pressure the Vatican to take a stand? Only time will tell. " Cheryl Wills Programming Note: From the time the Pope's plane touches down in Washington Tuesday, until he leaves New York on Sunday, NY1 will have 24-extensive, wall-to-wall coverage of the historic trip.
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