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Out of the Dark, into the Light: with Abuse Reports Released, Bishop Looks to the Future of Erie Diocese

By Melissa Klaric
The Herald
July 3, 2018

http://www.sharonherald.com/news/local_news/out-of-the-dark-into-the-light-with-abuse-reports/article_c4b90dce-1dc5-560d-a904-899f7ddb6739.html

MELISSA KLARIC | HeraldErie Bishop Lawrence T. Persico

Bishop Lawrence T. Persico says he didn’t set out to be a trailblazer.

But he has been touted as the first Catholic bishop to release a complete list of names of people accused of misconduct, including not only priests affiliated with his Erie Diocese, but lay people as well. He has also received praise for expanding the role of the office for the protection of children and updating its policy.

“I just wanted to do what was right,” the bishop said.

And that is his intention moving forward, he says, as the grand jury report is about to be made public on its investigation into sexual misconduct allegations by clergy and lay people over the past 70 years. The report covers the Erie Diocese along with five others in Allentown, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton.

Persico has had a chance to read the report on the Erie Diocese, but public release of the report was held up pending the resolution of legal issues. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed legal action Monday to have the report made public.

But now, in addition to looking back, the Erie bishop is looking forward.

“The church will always be there. Jesus promised us that,” Persico said.

The Erie Diocese is not the first, second or even third Catholic diocese in the nation to be tangled in a clergy sex-abuse scandal.

In Pennsylvania alone, grand juries have delved into allegations spanning decades of child sex abuse perpetrated by clergy and people associated with the church. And in some cases, higher-ups have been accused and and convicted of covering up the crimes.

Two separate grand juries investigated the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2005 and in 2011. And in 2016, the Altoona-Johnston Diocese underwent the same scrutiny.

“The grand jury was able to document child sexual abuse by at least 50 different priests or religious leaders within the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown,” according to the report.

And although the findings of those grand juries were hard to read, the 884-page report on abuse in the six dioceses, including Erie, is said to be among the worst, according to statements made by the state Office of the Attorney General.

“I know it will be hard on people. It may cause others to want to leave the church, and I’m sorry they feel that way, but I can understand their feeling,” Persico said. “But I think it’s better that they know, and not be living in darkness. Because, if people know what has happened, as I said, that report is a report of our past, not our present, nor our future. So going forward, we just have to work harder. And this can be a renewal for us, as Catholics.”

The bishop has faith that people who have left the church can be brought back into the fold.

“By our actions,” he said. “We can talk about changing all we want, but if we don’t change the way we do things, then all that talk means nothing and then they don’t trust us. So, what I’m trying to do is for the diocese, and what the diocese is trying to do is, saying, “Hey, we’re sorry about what happened. We know it was terrible. But we also must be able to move on.’”

There is no other “soft” way to report on the abuse, other than to come out with the whole truth, Persico said.

“Once that comes out, it’s going to be horrendous, I’m sure, and that’s the past,” he said. “And once it becomes public, naturally, I’m going to address the people about it. I mean, I’m not going to bury my head in the sand and turn the lights off here so nobody comes.”

The bishop said the response he has received since the list those accused was published in April has been encouraging.

“You’d be surprised at how many victims I’ve talked to, calling to thank me for putting names of their abusers out there,” he said. “I spoke to a woman who lives out of state. She called and thanked me and said, ‘I want you to know that I finally feel validated after 59 years.’”

Another victim, who had been abused within the Erie Diocese and now lives elsewhere, also contacted Persico.

“He was just elated,” the bishop said. “I also spoke to other victims. Some have come in to see me and they said, ‘All we want to do is say thank you, because when I can see the name of my abuser on a list, that gives me validation, and I know that I was believed.’”

Persico said that after the list went live in April, 24 new victims came forward.

“And it’s been helpful. We have a system here so that if a victim calls, it goes directly to one of the people assigned to take these calls,” the bishop said. “And what I wanted was a woman, a layman and a priest. If you’ve been abused by a priest then the last person you want to talk to is a priest. Sometimes, they feel very comfortable talking to a woman or they may feel comfortable talking to a layman, so they have that option. Also, they have the email of our law firm, our investigators, who they can contact directly, and then we keep each other informed. This way, we help build the list.”

Follow Melissa Klaric on Twitter and Facebook @HeraldKlaric, email: mklaric@sharonherald.com

MORE INFO AND HELP

• Link to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie policy update: www.ErieRCD.org/policyupdate.htm.

• Diocesan officials said the diocese encourages anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or misconduct by a member of the clergy or any employee or volunteer of the church to contact law enforcement.

To report abuse to the independent investigators retained by the Diocese of Erie, email ErieRCD@KLGates.com. Victims or concerned individuals can report abuse to ChildLine, an outreach of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, at 800-932-0313. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and callers may choose to remain anonymous.

Victims can also contact the diocese directly to report abuse at 814-451-1543. Counseling assistance is available for victims and their families through the diocesan victim assistance coordinator, Dr. Robert Nelsen, who can be reached at 814-451-1521.

 

 

 

 

 




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