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	Absolute Must Read: SNAP Responds to Dublin Archdiocese Report Voice from the Desert November 27, 2009 http://reform-network.net/?p=2402 For immediate release: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, Founder and President of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (312 399 4747) One sentence says it all: “The most senior figures in the Irish hierarchy did not report these crimes. . .because of an obsessive culture of secrecy and a desire to preserve the power and aura of the Church and to avoid giving scandal to their congregations.”Our hearts ache, just ache, for the thousands of once-trusting, innocent, devout Catholic girls and boys whose lives have been devastated by sick priests and evil bishops. Our hearts ache for the thousands of men and women whose childhoods were shattered, whose innocence was stolen, and whose trust was violated. We desperately hope that this report, however incomplete, brings each of them some measure of sorely-needed, long-overdue and inadequate but richly deserved comfort. Our hearts also ache for the thousands of kids now at risk in the Dublin Archdiocese because so little has changed in the church hierarchy. In our view, perhaps the main reason so many children were so severely violated and so many Catholic employees hid the crimes can be summed up in just a few words: the rigid, secretive, all-male monarchy that is the church hierarchy. Sadly, despite all these crimes and revelations, that structure and culture remains fully intact. Let’s keep in mind that this report is incomplete. It’s based largely on reports of abuse and cover up which were written down, filed, and kept by church officials. Given the obvious callousness and complicity of church officials, we firmly believe there are hundreds and hundreds more reports which were never written down or saved, reports in which other Catholic staffers are complicit in horrific crimes and cover ups. Let’s keep in mind that while the report said “the structures and rules of the Catholic Church facilitated (the) cover up” of child sex crimes, merely changing church rules is insufficient. It’s the centuries-old secretive and monarchical culture of the church that needs reforming. Church rules are largely irrelevant, because given the nearly limitless power of bishops, there’s rarely any real recourse when bishops break such rules. Let’s remember that while four prelates are named in the report, the culture of secrecy, entitlement and self-preservation within the Catholic hierarchy is deeply rooted and pervasive. These four men alone aren’t responsible for this devastation. We strongly suspect that there are dozens, even hundreds of current and former church workers - lay and ordained - who turned a blind eye to child molestation or, worse, helped hide it. Let’s ignore apologies from officials who intentionally put kids in harms’ way that border on the meaningless. Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin writes “decisions were taken which resulted in more children being abused.” No, archbishop, “decisions” were not “taken.” Men - your colleagues and staff and predecessors - made those decisions. Let’s ignore the head of the Irish bishops who claims to be “shocked” by the report. That’s ludicrous. Let’s ignore the church officials who use words like “failure” to describe their deliberate, callous, deceitful and reckless wrong-doing. It’s not a “failure” or “mistake” that led to the commission and cover up of thousands of clergy sex crimes. It’s the willful, intentional short-sighted selfishness of powerful, cold-hearted men masquerading as spiritual figures. What should happen now? Let’s stop using the past tense and start using the present tense. It’s foolish to assume or believe that what’s happened in the past isn’t happening now. It’s reckless to buy into a false sense of security. The prudent course of action is to believe that what’s gone on for centuries is going on today. Let’s err on the side of caution, not complacency. Let’s avoid the temptation to assume that knowledge means change. It doesn’t. Public awareness is good but not enough. Only tangible change, not naive assumptions or soothing promises or comforting words, will protect kids. Let’s ignore words and demand action. Let’s not even read, much less be moved by, church apologies, no matter how lengthy or sincere-sounding. Victims deserve more and kids need more. Let’s not be side-tracked by arguments for ‘forgiveness.’ Individuals can, and usually should, at some point, forgive others. But our collective duty is to safeguard the vulnerable. And our private beliefs and attitudes don’t protect kids. Let’s harshly condemn those who will make excuses, point fingers, minimize harm, shift blame, and feign ignorance or misunderstanding. Let’s remember that bishops are extremely powerful and well-educated men who fully understand exactly what they do when they consistently put their wishes above children’s safety. Let’s beg church officials to avoid rubbing even more salt into the already deep and still fresh wounds of suffering victims and betrayed Catholics by making symbolic gestures and holding special events. These protect no one and heal very few. Instead, we beg church officials to take practical steps to deter future recklessness, callousness and deceit, by publicly and strongly disciplining every single church worker who ignored or concealed child sex crimes, or who is doing so today. Let’s heed Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern’s plea for those who have any information about abuse to contact gardai. It’s the moral and civic duty of every current and former church employee to come forward, share their knowledge, clear their consciences, and help protect kids. Let’s remember that when wrong-doing goes unpunished, wrong-doing is rewarded and repeated. History, psychology and common sense tell us that one effective way to deter others from hurtful misbehavior is to punish those who engage in hurtful misbehavior. It’s not vengeful to insist that those who harmed kids - directly by abuse or less directly by cover ups - face criminal prosecution. It’s right, just and caring. Finally, let’s not be distracted from the most crucial priorities. Now isn’t necessarily the time to revise protocols and procedures for future abuse reports. Those who have been sexually violated by clergy and then horribly betrayed by authorities are getting older and often still in deep pain. Those who ignored or concealed clergy sex crimes are likewise getting older and are escaping unscathed. Now is the time to stop future child sex crimes and cover ups, by identifying and prosecuting every person who played a role in devastating thousands of children. (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 21 years and have more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Peter Isely (414-429-7259) Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell)
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