New York Times reports on grand-jury response in Philadelphia archdiocese

March 07, 2011

Reacting to a grand jury's report that 37 priests accused of sexual abuse are still in active ministry, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has engaged a former prosecutor to re-evaluate each of those 37 cases.

Cardinal Justin Rigali originally responded to the grand jury complaint by insisting that no priest in active ministry had "an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor." That wording left open the possibility that some priests had been accused, but the accusations fell short of the standards the archdiocese used to define an "established" case. Several days later, the archdiocese suspended 3 priests, in a move that seemed to indicate that at least some of the grand jury's complaints had merit.

 

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Further information:

• In Philadelphia, New Cases Loom in Priest Scandal (New York Times)
• Cardinal Rigali places 3 priests on leave, reopens abuse investigations (CWN 2/17)