HARRISBURG, Pa. (CNN) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is accusing Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, of “not telling the truth” as he attempts to defend himself amid criticism and calls for his resignation over the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury reportdetailing allegations of widespread predatory behavior by more than 300 priests against more than 1,000 children.
The report is critical of Wuerl, who served as the bishop of Pittsburgh for 18 years, from 1988 to 2006, and describes him as one of the bishops who helped cover up abusive behavior. The cardinal’s defenders note that he acted to discipline some priests as bishop in Pittsburgh and even fought the Vatican against an order to reinstate a predator priest. After the release of the grand jury report on Tuesday, Wuerl said in a statement that it “confirms that I acted with diligence, with concern for the victims and to prevent future acts of abuse.”
The Pennsylvania attorney general disagrees. In a statement to CNN, Shapiro said, “Cardinal Wuerl is not telling the truth. Many of his statements in response to the Grand Jury Report are directly contradicted by the Church’s own documents and records from their Secret Archives. Offering misleading statements now only furthers the cover up.” Shapiro added that the cardinal “should heed the words of Pope Francis who validated our work in Pennsylvania and support the recommendations of the Grand Jury.”
The grand jury report outlines in graphic detail allegations of child sex abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, including the diocese of Pittsburgh. It is based on witness testimony and a review of internal documents from the dioceses. The report concludes that the abuse of children was “brushed aside, in every part of the state, by church leaders who preferred to protect the abusers and their institution above all.”
EARLIER STORY:
https://fox17online.com/2018/08/14/report-identifies-more-than-1000-victims-of-priest-abuse-in-pa/
