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Sex Abuse Victims Blast Mexican Cardinal's 'Hostility'
Friday September 29, 9:01 pm ET
SNAP Urges Rivera to Be 'Compassionate, Not Combative'
Mexico City Victim, and Others, Deserve 'Healing, Not Threats,' Self-Help Group Says


LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders of a support group for clergy molestation victims are disappointed with top Mexico City Catholic officials for what they call "harsh and mean-spirited public comments" about a Mexican man who was raped by a priest and about the church's child sex abuse and cover up scandal.

Two US men who help lead SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are writing Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, asking him to "rein in" his staff and reach out to molestation victims, rather than criticize them.

The letter, sent today to the Mexico City chancery office by fax and email, is signed by Eric Barragan of Ventura California and David Clohessy of St. Louis Missouri. Barragan helped start SNAP's Mexico City chapter, and Clohessy is the group's executive director.

Both men attended a news conference in Mexico City earlier this month at which Joaquin Aguilar Mendez announced his civil child molestation lawsuit against the priest who raped him, Fr. Nicholas Aguilar. Rivera and a California church official, Cardinal Roger Mahony, were named as defendants in that suit.

"Name-calling and blame-shifting is neither honorable nor helpful," SNAP's letter says. "Maligning those who've been sodomized and raped will neither safeguard the innocent nor heal the wounded."

Instead, SNAP suggests, Rivera and his staff should "respond instead, as Christ would, with a healing hand, instead of a stiff arm and a harsh attack."

"Do you really think it's Christian to attack the motives of deeply wounded individuals who've been raped by priests, individuals you have never even met?" asks the letter.

After Mendez' lawsuit was filed, spokesmen for Rivera reacted "harshly," SNAP said.

Rivera's spokesman, Father Hugo Valdemar, claimed "The motivation underlying this whole scandal is the aim of a radical group to commercialize justice." One Catholic official said Aguilar Mendez' lawsuit "is set forth by enemies of the church who only pursue us to gratify their dark ends."

"Joaquin was raped by a sick priest. He was shunned by church authorities. He wants to recover and protect other kids," said Clohessy. "For this, he deserves sympathy, not slander."

"The members of our group have been deeply wounded but we try to support each other in healing," said Barragan. "And many survivors of priest sex abuse find it healing prevent others from being abused by alerting the public about our perpetrators. Many are still in positions where they can hurt more children."

Founded in 1989, SNAP is the US's largest and oldest self-help group for clergy molestation victims. Several months ago, it opened a chapter in Mexico City. SNAP has some 8,000 members and almost all of them were raped, sodomized or fondled by trusted religious authority figures, most (but not all) of them Catholic. SNAP operates confidential support groups in 65 American cities.

"We are a safe, independent, confidential place for hurting victims to get comfort and solace," said Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP's founder. "Our goal is to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable. Bishops often consider us as adversarial, but that's not our intent at all."

"If a church official overreacts so severely and lashes out so viciously, one has to wonder what he fears so greatly," said Barragan.

A copy of SNAP's letter, sent today via fax and email to the Mexico City Cardinal, is below.




David Clohessy
National Director
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
7234 Arsenal Street
St. Louis MO 63143

Eric Barragan
SNAP Mexico Regional Director
138 N. 10th St.
Santa Paula, CA 93060

September 29, 2006

Norberto Rivera Carrera
Curia Arzobispal
Apartado Postal 24-433
Durango 90
Col. Roma 06700-Mexico, D.F.

Dear Cardinal Rivera:

We write to you today with heavy hearts. We assumed that, as the shepherd
of more than 15 million souls, the protection of the innocent and
vulnerable would be your first priority. We assumed that the healing of
those deeply wounded by abusive clergy would likewise be important to you.

We hoped that your response to the recent news regarding Fr. Nicholas
Aguilar's heinous crimes would be at the caliber of a worried spiritual
pastor, not a threatened businessman.

However, we were very disappointed when you, through your spokesmen,
responded to the latest news of Aguilar's crimes with an attack -- on one
of his victims, on victims as a whole, and on our organization.

Consider these quotes from your staff in the news media:

"Enemies of the church (with) dark ends."

"This is commercialized justice."

"Their only objective is economic gain."

Name-calling and blame-shifting is neither honorable nor helpful.
Maligning those who've been sodomized and raped will neither safeguard the
innocent nor heal the wounded.

Instead of Christian charity, Joaquin Mendez received threats. Instead of
receiving a balm for his wounds, he had salt rubbed in them. Instead of
being held up as a brave hero, he was vilified for telling the truth.

We humbly submit that you and your staff respond instead, as Christ would,
with a healing hand, instead of a stiff arm and a harsh attack.

Do you really think it's Christian to attack the motives of deeply wounded
individuals who've been raped by priests, individuals you have never
even met?

We understand that his lawsuit is unsettling for you. It's clear you
believe you've done nothing wrong. But you can defend yourself without
attacking Joaquin and his supporters. That is, we believe, what Christ
would do.

But instead of "turning the other check," you turned loose the attack
dogs. That strategy will only heap more pain and shame on the perhaps
thousands of Mexican men, women and children who have been sexually
assaulted by clergy.

As a priest you promised to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and we
commend you for that promise. But we cannot understand how the actions of
your spokesmen can be justified in light of that promise.

We hoped that you would have learned from your fellow bishops in the
United States. They promised openness and transparency. Instead, many of
them have used slick public relations campaigns and hardball legal
techniques. This has allowed dangerous sexual predators to continue to
prey upon children and has furthered damaged the reputation of the
hierarchy of the church. It has also only deepened the pain that many
victims feel.

Joaquin showed incredible courage in coming forward and revealing the name
of the priest that sexually assaulted him. He should have received help
and counseling, not legal notices and threats.

At a bare minimum he should be thanked because his speaking out is helping
the church to recognize an evil that has festered for years. The truth
exposed brings healing as sunshine brings light and acts as a
disinfectant. Joaquin is offering a gift to the church and it should be
appreciated.

We hope you will reconsider your approach to sexual abuse by clergy and
will rein in your staff members whose public remarks serve neither you nor
your flock well.

Thank you.

David Clohessy
National Director, SNAP
314-566-9790 cell
314-645-5915 office

Eric Barragan
SNAP Mexico Regional Director
805-207-7424 cell

SNAPnetwork.org