NEWARK (NJ)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
April 14, 2025
South Orange, NJ — On Tuesday, April 15 at 11:00am, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will hold a press conference in front of Seton Hall University (outside Ward Place Gate at the intersection of Ward Pl. and Seton Dr.) to deliver a critical announcement concerning the role of the U.S. Catholic cardinals in the next papal conclave.
The event will focus in particular on Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, his central role in the ongoing suppression of results of an abuse investigation commissioned by the university, and SNAP’s conclusion that no American cardinal is qualified to lead the Catholic Church due to their extensive histories of enabling and covering up clergy sexual abuse.
As part of this campaign, SNAP is filing formal complaints with the Vatican under Pope Francis’ decree Vos estis lux mundi against Tobin and six other U.S. cardinals, urging the Vatican to investigate their mishandling of abuse cases. These filings follow last month’s announcement of the Conclave Watch initiative in Rome and the organization’s filing of six Vos estis lux mundi complaints against some of the highest-ranking cardinals in the Catholic hierarchy, including several who lead Vatican dicasteries responsible for investigating abuse.
Seton Hall was chosen as the site for this announcement due to ongoing concerns about the role of its current president, Monsignor Joseph Reilly, in covering up sexual abuse at the university’s Immaculate Conception Seminary. Seton Hall has been the subject of public outcry over the university and Archdiocese of Newark’s refusal to share the results of a 2019 investigation into disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s “influence and actions” at Seton Hall.
SNAP is calling on all survivors, whistleblowers, and those with knowledge about the conduct of American cardinals to come forward. The organization offers a confidential and supportive space for survivors to share information and join the fight for justice, transparency, and accountability in faith-based institutions.
DETAILS:
WHAT: Press conference re: formal complaints against Tobin and other U.S. cardinals for abuse cover-up
WHO: The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP)
WHEN: Tuesday, April 15, 11:00am
WHERE: Seton Hall University, (outside Ward Place Gate at the intersection of Ward Pl. and Seton Dr.), South Orange, NJ
WHY: To announce complaints filed against seven U.S. cardinals for cover-up of sexual abuse: Cardinal Raymond Burke (Prefect Emeritus of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura), Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston), Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Archbishop of New York), Cardinal Wilton Gregory (Archbishop Emeritus of Washington), Cardinal James Harvey (Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls), Cardinal Robert McElroy (Archbishop of Washington), and Cardinal Joseph Tobin (Archbishop of Newark)
CONTACT: Mark Crawford, SNAP NJ State Director (mecrawf@comcast.net, +1-732-632-7687), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, +1-814-341-8386), Peter Isely, SNAP Global Policy Working Group (peterisely@gmail.com, +1-414-429-7259), Sarah Pearson, SNAP Media and Communications (sarah@natesmission.org, +1-414-366-5403)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)