Church Officials Seek to Keep Higher-ups Names Secret, SNAP Responds

By Joelle Casteix
SNAP
January 7, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ca_church_officials_seek_to_keep_higher_ups_names_secret_snap_responds

The thousands upon thousands of long-secret Catholic documents that describe horrific crimes against children by members of the catholic clergy have come to light only because of brave victims. Catholic officials have used every weapon in their vast arsenal to keep these files hidden and keep Catholics and citizens in the dark about their involvement in moving, shielding and enabling predators. We hope that the judicial system will not only release all the documents but allow the names of all complicit church staff to be made public.

Catholic officials have very little incentive to change their callous behavior when all their needs are being met. Only when they are held accountable for their reckless behavior will they change their ways and perhaps begin putingt the safety of the children first.

Protecting children must take priority. But a very simple first step is for the truth to come out - not just about the child molesting clerics but also about their irresponsible church supervisors. Real healing and closure and prevention will only begin to happen when the public knows exactly who has hurt kids either by sexually exploiting them or by ignoring or helping those who sexually exploit them.