New Jersey Catholic Diocese Releases Names of 189 Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse
NO HIDING
New Jersey’s Roman Catholic dioceses on Wednesday released the names of 189 priests and deacons who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children over decades as religious leaders. The names are the result of an internal review that was spurred by law enforcement officials launching their own investigation. The list was compiled during an “extensive review” of records dating to 1940. The Newark, New Jersey, Archdiocese posted a total of 63 names, including 33 priests who were accused of abusing multiple victims. The most prominent name on the Newark list was Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the highest-ranking American Catholic official to have been removed from ministry. Pope Francis had accepted his resignation last year. Cardinal Joseph Tobin, head of the Newark Archdiocese, wrote a letter to Catholics across the region on Wednesday, saying that the publishing of the names was part of “an effort to do what is right and just.”