SNAP Misses Beam in Its Own Eye While Demanding That Philly Priest Be ‘defrocked’

By Dave Pierre
Media Report
June 28, 2012

http://www.themediareport.com/2012/06/28/snap-misses-beam-in-its-own-eye-while-demanding/

Blurry vision: SNAP National Director David Clohessy

In a letter to Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, the hysterical anti-Catholic group SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) is now demanding that 61-year-old Msgr. William Lynn, recently acquitted of three criminal charges but found guilty of a single third-degree child endangerment charge from actions nearly two decades ago, be "defrocked" from the priesthood.

SNAP claims, "This (request) is not about being vindictive," yet common sense suggests otherwise.

If SNAP really wanted to see discipline for those who have failed to report cases of suspected abusive priests, it should start by looking into disturbing episodes from within its own organization. As we have reported before:

SNAP National Director David Clohessy fully knew in the early 1990's of allegations that his brother, Kevin – a Catholic priest – was sexually abusing innocent boys.

For two decades, David Clohessy has been railing against Church leaders for allegedly not calling authorities when becoming aware of suspected abuse by priests. Meanwhile, Clohessy himself did not report his own brother to authorities, and he may very well have jeopardized the safety of numerous innocent children by his admitted inaction … [Read more]

According to SNAP's own standards, it is "reckless" to delay reporting a suspected priest to the police "even for one day." Yet when SNAP received word in February 2010 that a Los Angeles-area priest who admitted the abuse of 16-year-old girl in 1966 was still in ministry, it did not call the police. Neither did it call the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Instead, rather than protect children, it called its allies at the New York Times in order to trumpet a big media story … [Read more]

SNAP's "Outreach Director" Barbara Dorris has publicly claimed that in 1991 she walked in on a priest molesting an innocent girl. Yet she has refused to this day to publicly identify the priest. Why? Doesn't her apparent inaction endanger children? … [Read more]

What disciplinary measures has SNAP taken against its own leaders for their own admitted inactions and failures to protect children? Why has SNAP demanded accountability from others while denying accountability for itself?

SNAP may first want to work on addressing its own dangerous actions before worrying about the internal affairs of other organizations. And if SNAP were really about protecting children – and the evidence continues to mount that left-wing politics is actually its real concern – it would cease its hypocritical practice of "Do what I say, not as I do."