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	Pope & Cardinals to Talk about Abuse; Sex Abuse Victims Respond SNAP November 8, 2010 http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/2010_statements/110810_pope_cardinals_to_talk_about_abuse_sex_abuse_victims_respond.htm It’s easy and tempting to assume this is a positive sign. But that’s irresponsible. We’ll only know if this is a good development when we see action resulting from this meeting. To be swayed by mere talk is to betray vulnerable children and wounded adults. Talking about abuse is easy, preventing abuse is hard. It takes decisive action to oust predator priests and complicit bishops. And when it comes to abuse, this Pope, like his predecessors, has shown little commitment to real action. Before any hopes get raised, let’s remember that it’s likely that every man in the room next week has ignored and concealed clergy sex crimes or is doing so right now. The prospects of substantial reform happening next week are therefore pretty slim. The meetings we believe are the most productive involve police, prosecutors and other secular officials who use the open, time-tested justice system to uncover long-concealed clergy sex crimes. In the spring of 2002, Pope John Paul summoned US cardinals to Rome for a similar event. There’s little evidence to suggest that any real good emerged from that meeting. (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 22 years and have more than 10,000 members. 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, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com) , Peter Isely (414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com) http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/pope-summons-cardinals-for-talks-on-sexual-abuse-cases-480954.html Pope summons cardinals for talks on sexual abuse cases 08/11/2010 - 13:59:45 Pope Benedict has summoned his cardinals to Rome next week to discuss the Catholic Church's response to cases of sexual abuse by clergymen. The unprecedented talks will also discuss the procedure for accepting Anglican converts into the Church. More than 200 cardinals will attend the talks. Following the publication last November of a report revealing hundreds of cases of child sex abuse by the clergy in Ireland, the Pope has been grappling with the most serious crisis in the Church of recent years.
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