Pennsylvania Diocese Names 71 Church Officials Accused of Child Sex Abuse

The Diocese of Harrisburg, one of the six under investigation in an upcoming Pennsylvania grand-jury report on clergy abuse, released a list of 71 church officials “credibly accused” of child sexual abuse Wednesday, according to Penn Live. The report includes “37 priests, three deacons, six seminarians, nine from other diocese and 16 members of religious communities,” Penn Live notes. The bishop responsible for the list’s release has ordered that the names of all former bishops dating back to 1947 be scrubbed from diocesan schools and buildings. During the announcement, he sought forgiveness from those “who are hurt and scandalized in any way by such reprehensible actions.” As The Daily Beast reported previously, the Harrisburg Diocese is one of the six that were investigated in a forthcoming 884-page grand-jury report on widespread sexual abuse. The results of the report have been mysteriously, repeatedly delayed—but are expected to be released sometime this month. One Pennsylvania House representative, who was sexually abused by a Pennsylvania priest as a child, told The Daily Beast that “This is going to be the worst grand jury report in the history of the United States, as it pertains to child sex abuse.”