SNAP Continues Calumny and Slander of Archbishop Burke

A "Press Release" issued yesterday by David Clohessy of SNAP continues to spread falsehoods.

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home)

One one hand, Burke essentially imports child-molesting clergy. On the other hand, he apparently authorizes someone secretly spying on a nun.

Facts - this statement has none. Clohessy has yet, to my knowledge, failed to provide anyone with the names of those "child-molesting clergy" that the Archbishop has "imported."

I have yet to see any evidence that Archbishop Burke authorized any taping. As a matter of fact NCR even states as much when it says: "There is no evidence that Burke knew about or ordered the taping."

Why then, does Clohessy make his vindictive and slanderous statements?

The issue here isn't whether women should or shouldn't be ordained. The issue is Burke and his disturbing priorities and questionable tactics.

Here's an archbishop who often claims he's 'powerless' to oust or monitor pedophile priests in and around St. Louis, yet apparently authorizes the clandestine videotaping of a ceremony at a synagogue hoping to catch a nun attending a religious event.

Again, where is the proof to support these statements? Clohessy apparently doesn't feel he needs facts - innuendo and slander will do just fine.

Even if it turns out that Burke did NOT authorize the taping, it's just smarmy to use such alleged 'evidence' in a any kind of judicial proceeding.

Would it be "smarmy" to use the video and pictures from the local St Louis media? What's really "smarmy" are erroneous, deceitful, and scandalous remarks by the SNAP members to vilify Archbishop Burke.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 17 years and have more than 8,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Peter Isely (414-429-7259) Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688), Mary Grant (626-419-2930), Mark Serrano (703-727-4940)

It's regrettable that archdiocesan attorneys haven't filed suit for slander and libel against these clowns.

Press Release source. Be careful, it's a "smarmy" site...