Michael Brooks
In August 2018, a grand jury released a report on the widespread sexual abuse of children in Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic dioceses. The report revealed a systematic cover-up by senior church officials, including bishops and monsignors, who were aware of the abuse but hid it to avoid scandal and criminal charges. The investigation, led by Attorney General Josh Shapiro, found that over 300 Catholic priests had sexually abused more than 1000 children, with the real number of victims believed to be in the thousands. This scandal adds to the ongoing global controversies surrounding child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Grand Jury Report release | August 14, 2018 |
| Number of pages in the report | Nearly 900 |
| Number of lawsuits filed against all eight Pennsylvania Catholic Dioceses | 150 |
| Number of predator priests identified | 301 |
| Number of children abused | Over 1,000 |
| Number of Pennsylvania Catholic Dioceses involved | 6 |
| Names of Dioceses involved | Allentown, Scranton, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Erie |
| Names of other Dioceses mentioned in the report | Altoona-Johnstown, Philadelphia, and Divine Redeemer Catholic Church |
| Government agency involved | Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General |
| Attorney General | Josh Shapiro |
| Other states that pursued investigations | Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and New Mexico |
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What You'll Learn
The 2018 grand jury report
The grand jury's report, released on August 14, 2018, was the broadest examination by a government agency in the United States of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. It included detailed accounts of the abuse suffered by the victims, many of whom were boys, and the systematic cover-up by the church that followed. The report also revealed that hundreds of known offenders were returned to active ministry after being "laundered" in "treatment facilities". In one case, a priest impregnated a young girl and arranged for her to have an abortion.
The grand jury made several recommendations for reform, including changing the criminal and civil statutes of limitations on sexual abuse in Pennsylvania. These recommendations were later signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on November 26, 2019. The report also led to the removal of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, who was accused of assaulting a 16-year-old altar boy decades ago.
The release of the grand jury report had a significant impact, with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan requesting information on seven priests in the report with ties to Illinois. Additionally, on August 16, 2018, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement promising the creation of "new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops" and a more effective resolution of future complaints. By August 20, 2018, Pope Francis had issued an ecclesiastical letter addressing the report's findings.
The grand jury investigation and subsequent report have led to numerous lawsuits against the Pennsylvania Catholic Dioceses, with the bulk of the lawsuits filed against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Diocese of Pittsburgh, Diocese of Allentown, and Diocese of Scranton. The Diocese of Harrisburg filed for bankruptcy in light of the sex abuse lawsuits in February 2020.
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Senior church officials' involvement
The sexual abuse scandal involving the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania came to light following a two-year grand jury investigation. The investigation began in early 2016 and focused on six Pennsylvania dioceses: Allentown, Scranton, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Erie.
The grand jury's report, released in August 2018, revealed that senior church officials, including bishops and monsignors, were aware of the sexual abuse committed by priests but routinely covered it up. The report detailed how these officials took steps to avoid scandal, criminal charges against priests, and monetary damages to the dioceses.
One case mentioned in the report involved Father David Poulson in the Diocese of Erie, who was charged with sexually assaulting a boy over an eight-year period, starting when the boy was just eight years old. Bishop Donald Trautman knew about and covered up the abuse.
Another case involved Father Chester Gawronski in the Diocese of Erie, who fondled boys under the pretext of giving them a "cancer check." Gawronski confessed to multiple instances of sexual abuse and provided a list of 41 "possible" victims to the Diocese. Despite this, he remained in active ministry from 1987 to 2002 and was repeatedly reassigned to new parishes.
In the Diocese of Allentown, Father Michael Lawrence admitted to a church official that he had sexually molested a 12-year-old boy. The official noted the confession in a confidential memo, but it is unclear if any further action was taken.
The grand jury's report led to widespread criticism of the Catholic Church and its handling of sexual abuse cases. It also prompted calls for reform, with Attorney General Josh Shapiro challenging every Catholic bishop to support recommended changes to Pennsylvania law regarding sexual abuse.
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Previous investigations
The 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury investigation into Catholic Church sexual abuse was not the first of its kind. In 2002, The Boston Globe conducted an investigation into the same matter. In 2016, a similar grand jury report was released detailing sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia suffragan diocese in Altoona-Johnstown.
Building on these previous investigations, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro 's office launched its own investigation in 2016. This resulted in the release of a nearly 900-page report in August 2018. The report included dozens of victim testimonies and revealed a pattern of systematic cover-ups by senior church officials.
The 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report also added to ongoing scandals over child sex abuse within the Catholic Church worldwide. In Australia, a five-year investigation concluded in 2017, sparking a national reckoning over abuse within the Church. This led to church leaders facing criminal charges and Pope Francis accepting the resignation of Archbishop Philip Wilson, the highest-ranking Catholic cleric to be convicted of covering up abuse.
In Chile, Pope Francis accepted the resignations of five out of 34 bishops who offered to resign following a report that found church officials hid claims of abuse. In response to the Pennsylvania report, Francis issued an ecclesiastical letter acknowledging the experiences of at least a thousand survivors of sexual abuse, abuse of power, and abuse of conscience at the hands of priests over approximately seventy years.
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The Catholic Church's response
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, also issued a statement on the same day, promising to create "new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops" and to strive for "more effective resolution of future complaints."
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of the Archdiocese of St. Louis invited the Missouri attorney general's office to inspect the archdiocesan files and produce a report on clerical abuse in the state. Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, also stated that the attorney general was welcome to examine all the archdiocesan files.
In addition to these statements and actions, Pope Francis issued an ecclesiastical letter on August 20, 2018, addressing the grand jury report. He wrote, "We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them," acknowledging the Church's failure to protect the victims.
However, there has also been some criticism and denial of the findings of the grand jury report. Columnist Michael Sean Winters described the report as "spotty and inconsistent," and former New York Times reporter Peter Steinfels called it "grossly misleading, irresponsible, inaccurate, and unjust," noting that a third or more of the accusations were made after the Dallas Charter.
The Catholic Church in Pennsylvania has also faced legal consequences as a result of the scandal. The Diocese of Harrisburg filed for bankruptcy in 2020 in light of the sex abuse lawsuits, and the Diocese of Greensburg also faced lawsuits and allegations of sex abuse against one of its priests.
Overall, the Catholic Church's response to the Pennsylvania scandal has been mixed, with some Church officials acknowledging the seriousness of the issue and promising reforms, while others have denied or downplayed the findings of the grand jury report.
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The impact on other states
The release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report in August 2018 had a significant impact on other states in the US. The report detailed the sexual abuse of children in six of Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic dioceses and the systematic cover-up by senior church officials.
The report's findings prompted attorneys general in several other states, including Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and New Mexico, to launch their own investigations into Catholic Church sex abuse. In Illinois, Attorney General Lisa Madigan identified seven priests with connections to the state in the Pennsylvania report. She called on the Catholic Church to provide a full accounting of sexually inappropriate behavior by priests in Illinois. Madigan also requested information on the priests named in the Pennsylvania report from the Illinois Attorney General. In Missouri, Attorney General Josh Hawley announced an investigation into clergy sex abuse in Catholic dioceses within the state.
The Pennsylvania report also led to calls for increased scrutiny of Catholic dioceses across the country. Mark Rozzi, a Pennsylvania state representative and abuse victim, expressed his desire for every diocese in the US to be scrutinized. Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests advocated for every state attorney general to initiate formal investigations into Catholic Church abuse.
The report also had legal implications beyond Pennsylvania. In 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court made decisions that empowered authorities to notify communities about the presence of convicted violent sex offenders and allowed sexual predators to seek mental hospital treatment for their compulsions. These rulings influenced legal actions in other states, with similar petitions filed by dioceses in Pittsburgh and Greensburg being denied by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Additionally, the Diocese of Harrisburg filed for bankruptcy in 2020 due to the financial burden of sex abuse lawsuits.
The Pennsylvania grand jury report also had international repercussions, contributing to ongoing scandals and investigations into Catholic Church sex abuse worldwide. In Australia, a five-year investigation concluded, leading to criminal charges against church leaders and the resignation of the highest-ranking cleric convicted of covering up abuse. In Chile, Pope Francis accepted the resignations of five bishops and apologized for the Vatican's mishandling of sexual abuse cases. The Chilean government requested additional documents from the Vatican regarding clergy members accused of abuse.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church in Pennsylvania was accused of child sexual abuse by its priests, and a systematic cover-up by senior church leaders.
A grand jury released a report in August 2018, detailing the abuse and cover-up. The report was based on an investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, led by Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
The report found that over 1,000 children had been sexually abused by more than 300 "predator priests" in Pennsylvania. It also revealed a systematic cover-up by senior church officials, including bishops and monsignors, to avoid scandal and protect the institution.
The report led to legislative changes in Pennsylvania, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf in November 2019. It also prompted similar investigations in other states and worldwide. Several church leaders faced criminal charges, and Pope Francis accepted the resignation of several bishops.
On August 16, 2018, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke issued a statement condemning child sexual abuse and expressing support for the victims. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, promised to create "new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops".
