WASHINGTON: Catholic church names 31-ex clergymen accused of abusing minors

A list of 31 former ex-clergymen accused of being involved in the abuse of minors over the past 70 years has been revealed by the Catholic archdiocese of Washington.

Reports say the list includes several individuals who’ve been convicted and it was released days after Archbishop Donald Wuerl resigned over the scandal.

Further findings revealed that 16 of the priests and one deacon already exposed publicly have been arrested and convicted in courts.

According to the Archdiocese of Washington, all 31 have been expelled from the church and 17 have died.

The development is coming after an investigation by Dutch newspaper NRC revealed that dozens of high-ranking members of the Dutch Catholic Church reportedly knew of sexual abuse in the church and actively covered it up.

Read also: Cold war between Russia & US over, Putin says

The report from the investigation accused more than half of Dutch bishops, cardinals and auxiliary bishops of taking part or actively covering up child abuse between 1945 and 2010.

Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis likened the sex scandal and corruption rocking the church to “excrement in a toilet.”

Speaking on the first papal visit to once deeply Catholic Ireland in almost four decades, Pope Francis vowed to end the sexual exploitation of children by clergy.

At an event which had sex abuse survivors in attendance, Pope Francis acknowledge that it was to the Church’s shame it had not addressed these “repugnant crimes” and said he sought a greater commitment to eliminating this “scourge”.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now