I am not one for press releases. This one, however, crystalized many of the thoughts I have been trying to sort out this week. Please give it a careful read.
For immediate release: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Statement by Peter Isely, Midwest Director of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (414-429-7259)
America’s bishops have joined the “circle the wagons” chorus, more intent on protecting prelates’ reputations than on protecting children’s safety.
Instead of exposing predators and helping victims, America’s bishops busy themselves with self-congratulations and public relations. They tout their plentiful but largely ineffective policies, panels and procedures which were adopted as public relations moves. Since 2002, they have done little but water down and increasingly ignore their pledges of greater openness, confident that ‘the wave has crested’ and they have little to fear from more victims, lawsuits, prosecutions or media exposes.
Once again, bishops still refuse to use the words “bishop” or “cover up” when talking about a crisis caused by bishops covering up. This statement, like so many others, tries to minimize this crisis, blaming only the predators and ignoring their corrupt supervisors.
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