For immediate release: Sunday, April 4, 2010

Lofty statements from Vatican officials do not change the facts

Statement by Barbara Blaine, SNAP President 312-399-4747

Lofty statements from Vatican officials do not change the facts.

Deeply wounded victims and our family members need comfort and healing but instead receive reprimands and insults. When we speak up and tell how our childhood innocence was shattered by sexual assaults by priests it is not "petty gossip." Learning that church officials, including the Pope, failed to intervene to protect us as children has rubbed salt into our wounds. The track record of the Pope has been to cover up and seek silence about the sex crimes by priests. The Pope has said very little and taken no decisive action to rid the church of the sexual predators nor to offer justice to victims. While Sodano and other church officials keep claiming the Pope has done so much the victims still seek concrete action from the Pope.

SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world's largest and oldest support group for victims of clergy sexual abuse. Founded in 1988, SNAP has over 9,000 members.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/canadaworld/article/1006707

http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/2010_statements/040410_lofty_statements_from_vatican_officials_do_not_change_the_fact