AUSTRALIA
SNAP Australia
WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse survivors and their supporters will hand out fliers to church members as they leave Mass. The leaflets urge Sydney’s Cardinal George Pell to
— personally visit every parish where a predator priest has worked and beg anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes to come forward, and
–post the names of all credibly accused child molesting clerics on diocesan and parish websites and bulletin boards and in newsletters.
The victims will also encourage anyone who many have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes or cover ups – at this parish or others – to come forward, get help, call police, expose wrongdoing, protect others and start healing.
WHEN:
Sunday, December 2 at 11:15 am
WHERE
Outside St Mary’s Cathedral on St. Mary’s Road (between Riley Street and College Street) in Sydney
WHO
Two to four members of an international victims’ support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a Chicago woman who is the organisation’s long-time president
WHY
SNAP is also calling on Cardinal Pell to permanently post the names of all proven, admitted and credibly accused Sydney area predator priests on his website, in his archdiocesan newspaper, and in parish bulletins. SNAP says that is “one of the simplest, quickest and cheapest ways to keep kids safe.”
Roughly 30 US bishops have posted the names of their predator priests, usually after considerable public pressure. SNAP believes it is the “bare minimum” church officials should do to help protect kids and help victims heal, especially given that bishops recruit, educate, ordain, train and often transfer and protect child molesting clerics. At least some of the predators would be in jail had not their crimes been concealed for years and years by church officials, SNAP maintains.
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