ROME (RNS) — An advocacy group of survivors of clerical abuse is raising concerns about several cardinals who are buzzed about as papabili, or potential popes.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests held a press conference Wednesday (April 30) in a hotel next to Pope Francis’ resting place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to announce new information about prominent cardinals the group accuses of covering up or mishandling sexual abuse cases. In addition to compiling accusations and information for the public, SNAP has filed complaints with the Vatican under Pope Francis’ Vos Estis Lux Mundi (“You are the light of the world”) laws, intended to confront abuse.
Among those named in the group’s complaints are Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Péter Erdő, Robert Prevost and Joseph Tobin. SNAP claimed there is evidence of their ignoring or covering up reports of abuse and seeks full investigations.
RELATED: Is Pope Francis in Heaven? Evangelist Shane Pruitt Offers His Thoughts
On its website, SNAP also accuses Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, another potential papabile who also has the role of announcing the next pope, of participating in the cover-up of abuse by both infamous ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and another prelate Mamberti supervised, although the group has not yet filed a Vos Estis report. Mamberti is one of six cardinals added to the SNAP list in the last two weeks.
“ When the white smoke comes out of the Sistine Chapel, we don’t want another survivor or family member or whistleblower to hear the name of the next pope and think, ‘That’s somebody who’s caused deep harm in my life. That’s somebody who’s been a source of terror and a source of pain,’” said Sarah Pearson, a survivor who leads SNAP’s media and communications.
Pearson referenced the story of an Argentine mother who allegedly went to then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio’s offices to speak about the abuse of her son by a priest and was refused a meeting with the cardinal and taken away by security. In addition to discussing Pope Francis, SNAP survivors at the meeting also brought up allegations that Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II covered up abuse.
The advocacy effort, titled Conclave Watch, also noted cover-up accusations against several men in key leadership roles during the papal transition, including Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, and Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who is assisting Farrell.
Survivors “meet an extraordinary wall of resistance and obfuscation and deceit and aggression around the world by bishops and church officials,” Isely said.
Psychoneurologist Denise Buchanan, from left, psychotherapist Peter Isely, Kazlaw Injury & Trauma Lawyers’ support team specialist Leona Huggins, and President of Ending Clergy Abuse Timothy Law, holding a wooden cross, arrive at the Vatican, Sept. 27, 2023. The group ended a zero-tolerance 75-mile pilgrimage initiative, along the Via Francigena, ahead of the synod of bishops starting on Oct. 4, 2023, at the Vatican, to protest clergy abuse. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
In addition to sharing information about cardinals who were allegedly negligent about abuse claims, SNAP is pressing all cardinals to back its proposed zero-tolerance law requiring the Catholic Church to permanently remove all abusers from ministry. The proposed church law would also form an independent compliance agency to investigate those in positions of authority who concealed abuse, then require publishing investigations and penalties for church officials found guilty of concealing abuse.
Isely also expressed outrage that while women and married men are barred from being priests, “you can be a child molester and a priest — that you can do under church rules.”
The group also brought up the case of 81-year-old Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, who has participated in pre-conclave meetings even though he is ineligible to vote because of his age. But Cipriani was restricted by the Vatican because of accusations that he had sexually abused minors, yet he appears to be flouting those restrictions in his participation.
“This man has no place there, no place there,” said Pearson. “It’s wildly inappropriate, and this is an example of what happens when a person does not lose their rank and title, from what they have done.”
