Our lives  begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter  -- Martin Luther King

Help us stop childhood sexual abuse.

Send an e-mail to your state senator, state representative or Governor. Ask them to publicly support “Global Reformation Day”. Ask them to send a letter in support, or ask them to make October 31, 2013 a formal day to recognize all survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Ask them to join you and people from around the globe in standing up, helping survivors of childhood sexual abuse and say “Enough”. Here are links to help you find your state’s Senators or Representatives.

Send an e-mail to your local newspaper. Ask them to join you and people from around the globe in standing up, helping survivors of childhood sexual abuse and say “Enough.” Find your local newspaper here.

Send an e-mail your family and friends and spread the word.

Clergy Abuse Survivors Respond to Catholic Conclave

This week, as the conclave to elect the next Pope of the Roman Catholic Church begins, people from around the globe continue to wonder and ask “Who will be elected as the next Pope”?

 As this question has been asked over and over again for the past several weeks, Survivors of clergy abuse from around the world continue to wait, as well.

We are not waiting to find out who will be elected as the next Pope. We are waiting for the world to join us and finally start asking the right questions.

The question of who the next pope will be pales in comparison to the question of what the next pope will do. While former Pope Benedict officially called the sexual abuse by clergy of children a “crime”, he failed to remove those who committed those crimes, and those who harbored those criminals.

In order protect future generations of children from abuse, and in order to repair the damage done to yesterday and today’s generation of clergy abuse survivors from around the world, we need to stop asking “Who will the next Pope?” … we need to begin asking “What will the next Pope do”.?

Will the next Pope, remove from ministry the priests who abused children?

Will the next Pope, hold accountable the bishops who protected abusive priests and who failed to protect children?

Will the next Pope finally begin to engage the survivor community and begin filling the obligation of repairing the damage done to thousand of clergy abuse survivors from around the world?

Will the next Pope change the culture of self preservation for one of child protection?

If the measure of our society is based on the protection of our children, then the question of who will walk through centuries old doors of the Sistine Chapel as the next Pope, is not as important as will the next pope have the courage to walk through the door which survivors from around the world have courageously opened for the first time in centuries.  

Survivors Voice Response to Vatican Spokesperson Fr. Lombardi

We at Survivors Voice.org appreciated the invitation and opportunity extended by Vatican spokesperson Fr. Lombardi, to meet and speak during the Reformation Day gathering in Rome on October 31.

We applaud and agree with his public statement that “The scourge of sexual abuse especially against minors, but also in a general way, is one of the great scourges of today's world.” We also applaud and agree that “This fight must be fought by us together, uniting our forces against the spread of this scourge..”

We do not agree with your statement that “The major part of the crimes belongs to times bygone”. These crimes continue in every country of the world and the damage inflicted continues.

In Fr. Lombardi’s own words issued in his statement “Yesterday morning, 100,000 young people were present in these places for a great celebration ...”

What we do not applaud and find discouraging is the fact that unless society changes the status quo surrounding the way we address the sexual abuse of children, of those 100,000 young people that Fr. Lombardi spoke of at the celebration in Rome, statistics show that 30,000 will be sexually abused before the age of 18.

What is more discouraging is that Fr. Lombardi’s public statement began by informing us that the statement he issued was his alone and in no way represented the official stance of the Holy See.

In 2003, while in Rome, we extended an invitation to Vatican officials to engage in an open, direct and honest dialogue about childhood sexual abuse affecting children from around the globe. They declined our invitation. Several days ago, while again in Rome, we extended that same invitation. That invitation remains open, and survivors around the world remain determined to change the status quo of society’s view of this issue.

Fr. Lombardi, if you cannot speak in an official capacity on this issue, please forward this invitation along to someone who can. Vatican officials detained us and photocopied our passports. We’re sure they know how to reach us.

Survivors Voice Co-Founders Gary Bergeron & Bernie McDaid

Survivors Voice Co-Founders Now Scheduling Speaking Events

Gary Bergeron and Bernie McDaid would be happy to meet with your organization, business, or church group to present the goals and mission of Survivors Voice, as well as facts surrounding childhood sexual abuse. The program consists of the co-founders’ personal stories, a video presentation and a question & answer segment.

Click on the Contact us page, go to the drop-down choices and select “Schedule speaking engagement.” We will contact you regarding available dates and other details.

Survivors Voice “Reformation Day” Life-Changing Experience for Survivors and Supporters, alike.

Held in Rome, on Sunday, October 31, 2010, survivors from the United States, Holland, Italy, Ireland, England, Australia and many other countries participated in Reformation Day, steps from the Vatican. Many shared stories of their childhood sexual abuse for the first time. The co-founders of Survivorsvoice, Bernie McDaid and Gary Bergeron, and their supporters are humbled by the incredible response from survivors and media, alike.

Global media, including CBS, Reuters, CNN, NPR, Dutch TV, Italian TV, The Voice of America, Associated Press and many others covered the event, resulting in more than 40,000 postings on the World Wide Web and countless television and radio reports broadcast all over the globe. Watch our video for more information and a gallery of photos from the event.

41 thousand news articles in 24 hours: Interview w/Gary Bergeron re: Reformation Day 2010 and Vatican meeting that followed.

City of Angels Blog interview with Gary Bergeron about the Reformation Day event

“Lombardi seemed uncomfortable during the whole meeting," said Gary Bergeron of Survivors Voice. "I think that fear surrounds this subject from both sides, a fear so real and so visceral that it's tough for people to sit down and just have a conversation about it. And I honestly think the only way that progress is going to be made is for those conversations to be had."

Bergeron said there were “41 thousand news articles in 24 hours" about the the Survivors Voice march in Rome last October that led to the meeting with Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman. Survivors Voice organized Reformation Day in St. Peter's Square to bring attention to hundreds of thousands of victims of pedophile Catholic priests worldwide who continue to seek justice. “Every major news outlet in every major country had an article about this event,” Bergeron added. “They told us this was the first time any event like this was being covered in Rome. The European press are much more aggressive than the U.S. press to begin with.”

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