UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, Oct. 23
Statement by Barbara Dorris of SNAP (314 503 0003)
Again, Pope Francis says he’s sending an “investigator” into a scandal-ridden diocese. This is not an effective approach.
Despite making nice promises on abuse, Francis has yet to defrock, demote, discipline or even clearly denounce a single Catholic employee anywhere for refusing to call police or prosecutors about known or suspected child sex crimes. Not one.
Until he does, he can respond when scandals reach a fever pitch by announcing another small, belated and ineffective internal church “investigation” into one of hundreds of dioceses where priests are accused of committing sexual misdeeds or crimes. But little or nothing will change.
Let’s be honest: this is a late, tepid and almost silly response to a global crisis of sexual crimes and misdeeds by thousands of clerics who are helped by thousands of complicit church colleagues and supervisors. This is like battling Ebola with band-aids. The Pope knows better.
We applaud every single person who has reported wrongdoing in the diocese of Albenga-Imperia. Staying silent helps no one. We hope their courage will inspire others who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by any cleric will find the courage to speak up, get help, expose wrongdoers, protect others and start healing.
The best way to do this, however, is to call secular authorities, not church officials and to keep reporting until someone listens and acts.
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