UN Crimes Against Humanity decree re pedophile priests one goal of Vatican Reformation Day project Oct. 31

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When headlines proclaimed a “Crimes Against Humanity” statement by victims of pedophile priests in Italy last month, a Press TV story* also reported, “A second meeting will be held in Rome in October,” which immediately aroused my inner revolutionary.** “They must mean Reformation Day in St. Peter’s Square,” I thought, and called the phone number on the most recent press release from Survivors Voice.

"The group in Italy is actually part of the event we're having,” said Gary Bergeron, project organizer. “There was a kind of break in translation in that announcement. We had somebody from Belgium at the meeting in Verona, who told the reporter, yeah, they're coming to Reformation Day at the Vatican too.”

Will the Survivors Voice group fill St. Peter's Square Oct. 31st proclaiming pedophilia in the Church was a crime against humanity?

“It’s easy to get up there and make a statement," Bergeron answered. "The challenge is, How do we issue the statement where it will end up in action.”

He added, “We're looking to get something presented to the United Nations. We've been talking about this for a long time.”

Since the first announcement of Reformation Day 2010 in April, preparation has meant dozens of public appearances, plus starting a nonprofit in Boston, producing a website with videos, collaborating on a documentary with CBS, and fundraising. (Pictured: Bergeron and partner on the project Bernie McDaid at a Boston cathedral protest in Auguest, photo by Ruth Moore.)

What else do Bergeron and McDaid have to do before the gathering October 31 in St. Peter's Square?

“We're right now working on a simulcast of the event,” Bergeron said. “We've got to have a web host large enough to host the transmission as well as host all the hits, and our Survivors Voice website is not large enough." (See also the European version of their website in five languages.)

“We've got American and Belgian camera crews lined up, but shooting of the event isn’t the issue, it’s how do we upload it live to a computer.”

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"We're planning this event a year from now October 31, 2011, in Rome, as well."
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CofA asked, How many people do you anticipate coming to join you in Rome October 31st?

“We have confirmed groups of tens and twenties, three separate from Ireland of 8, 12, and 9. From Italy two groups, one 40 people, one says 65 are coming. From U.S. people from Minnesota, New York, Florida, Indianapolis. It’s mostly individuals going from the U.S., not groups.”

He added, "We're planning this event a year from now October 31, 2011, in Rome, as well."

McDaid and Bergeron have already gotten high up the chain of command in efforts to communicate with the Vatican about the plight of pedophile priest victims. McDaid was one of four victims who met with the Pope in New York in 2008 and Bergeron was with McDaid in a meeting in the Vatican with Cardinal Bernard Law in 2003. City of Angels interviewed McDaid about the Vatican trip experience here where we were also among the first to report in April 2010 in depth about the Reformation Day project.

In videos featured at the website McDaid says, "It took six years to get the apology, we thought they were going to do more and it never materialized.” He adds, “Now I'm going to fill St. Peter’s Square with victims, survivors, their loved ones.”

McDaid: “When we first came forward and mentioned it came from the Vatican they looked at us like we had two heads."

In another video at the Survivors Voice site Bergeron says, “I'm going to Rome October 31, Bernie’s going and hopefully about 50 thousand of our friends."

Bergeron also says, “Here we are nine years later,” news of the pedophile epidemic in the Catholic Church is “breaking out in other countries.

“This is a global issue, it affects everyone.”

“This isn’t about the Pope or religion. This is about child abuse. The message is, this nightmare continues.
“Nothing has changed” and ““It’s time to do this from the top down. So we're inviting everyone who can to stand with us on October 31st and say, Enough.”

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"We're planning this event a year from now October 31, 2011, in Rome, as well."
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A reporter in one video at the Survivors Voice site asks McDaid if he wants Pope Benedict to resign and he answers, “Whether it’s Pope Benedict or Pope Charlie, it doesn't matter.”

Watch the best of survivors voice videos here at City of Angels Blog posted earlier this week.

*“Victims of priest pedophilia in Italy have gathered in a public meeting in Verona, calling for such activities to be declared a crime against humanity,” Press TV reported in September.

** Cut Paragraph:

Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Pope’s door in 1517, then translated the Bible into the common language (German for him) and started the Protestant Revolution. When I heard about the Crimes Against Humanity statement in Italy, it immediately aroused my inner hippie, “Wow, far out,” I gushed, “far reaching.”

(Correction: Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to "All Saints" Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany,not the Pope's door. His tomb is at this church today. If you are interested in learningmore about Martin Luther there is a movie that came out a few years ago called "Luther."- A reader sent this note to point out. It was Olan Horne who said last April he was going to nail his comments to the Vatican door, as part of this Reformation Day project, but haven't heard more about that part of it....)

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