Chaplain Removed for “sexual Misconduct”, SNAP Responds

SNAP
February 10, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ma_chaplain_removed_for_sexual_misconduct_snap_responds

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, outreach director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

The assistant chaplain at Holy Cross and Director of Service and Social Justice Programs has been removed after allegations of “adult sexual misconduct”.

[MassLive]

We are glad that he has been removed, but we want to be clear it is inherently problematic when clergy have any sexual contact with congregants. There can be no true "consent" given the power difference between the individuals.

It has long been understood that a sexual relationship between a doctor and his patient or a teacher and his student is wrong. It is the same thing with a clergy member and one of his congregants.

We hope this charge will help others who were hurt by what may have initially seemed like “affairs” but were in fact crimes. We hope those victimized by clergy at any age will find the courage to step forward, get help, call police, expose wrongdoers, protect others and start healing

(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 25 years and have more than 15,000 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)