CHICAGO (IL)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON JANUARY 14, 2014
Victims “out” nine Catholic predators
They have not been exposed in Chicago before
And none of their records will be released by archdiocese
Yet all worked and lived in the area, sometimes for years
George keeps “hairsplitting” & hiding religious order offenders
Group to church officials: “Disclose ALL child molesting clerics”
SNAP begs Catholics: “Read the actual documents when posted next week”
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, on the day hundreds of pages of long secret clergy sex abuse and cover up records will be turned over, victims and supporters will release names and information about nine child molesting clerics who worked in the Chicago area, abused elsewhere and have almost never been publicly disclosed in this area before as offenders.
They will also
—urge Cardinal Francis George to post names, photos & records of ALL archdiocesan predators (not just the ones who are sued),
— do the same with religious order clerics, so that kids can be protected and victims can heal, and
—blast him for continuing to protect a third or more of the abusive clerics who have been in Chicago.
WHEN
Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 11:15 a.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Chicago archdiocesan headquarters, 835 N. Rush Street (corner of East Chestnut) in downtown Chicago
WHO
Four-five adults who belong to a self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org). Some were molested as kids; others are concerned Catholics.
WHY
Today, because he has been forced to, Cardinal Francis George turns over records about 30 credibly accused predator priests to victims’ attorneys. Next week, those documents will be made public.
But George and his staff continue to hide the identities of dozens and dozens of other proven, admitted and credibly accused Chicago child molesting clerics. For the healing of victims and the safety of kids, SNAP believes their names, photos, whereabouts and work histories should be disclosed by church officials (whether they are diocesan or religious order clerics and whether they have been sued or not).
George refuses to give information about 1/3 of all predator priests who are or have been in Chicago, because they belong to religious orders. But SNAP considers this “self-serving hair-splitting.”
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