Archbishops in Ohio & New Mexico must take active steps now to help law enforcement convict a US priest who has been arrested and is accused of molesting at least 20 Philippine children.

Fr. Pius Hendricks, a former Franciscan Brother, was arrested in the village of Talustusan on Biliran Island in the central Philippines for molesting at least twenty boys. We fear that there are likely more who are still suffering in shame and self-blame.

We hope that this arrest will give hope to his victims and will encourage other survivors in both the Philippines and in the U.S. to come forward and make a report to law enforcement. The Philippines is one of the most Catholic countries in the world and one where priests are treated with extreme deference, a notable risk factor for clergy abuse. We hope that this news will encourage more victims to come forward and find help and healing from secular, independent sources.

Fr. Hendricks also worked in the United States in both Santa Fe and Cincinnati, so we call on Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe and Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati to use every tool at their disposal to urge others who may have knowledge or suspicions about Fr. Hendricks to come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors.

While Fr. Hendricks has not been arrested in the U.S., it is possible that he abused here. Either way, we believe that these prelates can find information that can help Philippine law enforcement keep Fr. Hendricks away from other vulnerable children and in jail where he belongs.

CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)