PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
Ill-considered comments by a Pittsburgh professor who once headed a national Catholic abuse panel help show why the church’s child sex crimes and cover up scandal continues.
Nicholas Cafardi is at the Duquesne University law school. For years, he was on – and once headed – the National Review Board, a “toothless tiger” of a committee hand-picked by bishops to purportedly oversee whether Catholic officials kept their promises about safeguarding kids.
Because of his experience, Cafardi should know better than to make comments like “I think 95 percent of the dioceses are following (the rule on removing predator priests).”
Cafardi has no way to know this. And by making this claim, he encourages complacency. Complacency endangers kids. Only vigilance protects kids.
And if 95% of US bishops are removing predator priests, how does Cafardi explain Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul? He admitted molesting a young teen, was accused of molesting another, was sued by both (and both settled for six figure sums). But just weeks ago, Vatican officials lifted his suspension and he’s set to be put back on the job next month.
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