Nj- Statement by Mark Crawford of SNAP

By Mark Crawford
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
May 1, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/nj

Punish Archbishop Myers. That's what Catholic officials must do now.

Explanations, apologies, investigations - that won't cut it.

Myers broke an agreement with prosecutors. He violated the church's abuse policy. He endangered kids. He must be punished.

Otherwise, he and other bishops will keep putting kids in harm's way.

Last year, Kansas City's bishop was found guilty, in criminal court, of a very similar offense - endangering kids by letting a predator be near them. Even after a judge found the bishop guilty, no one in the church hierarchy denounced or disciplined him. Not one bishop uttered a peep. And the wrongdoing by bishops continues.

We predict Myers will apologize. He'll "lawyer up." He'll promise to do better. He'll pick some ex-prosecutor to look at his abuse policies.

But we've been down that road, time and time again. Words and promises and church investigations don't protect kids.

Punishing those who commit and conceal and enables abuse protects kids.

How Myers is punished matters less. That Myers is punished matters most.

So we call on the National Review Board and on the top Catholic official in the US, Cardinal Dolan, to back up their promises with firm action now.