PENNSYLVANIA
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on a clergy abuse scandal in Pennsylvania (all times local):
12:10 p.m.
The bishop of a Roman Catholic diocese in central Pennsylvania says it’s a painful time for the church following revelations of 40 years of sexual abuse by diocesan priests and other religious leaders.
A grand jury report issued Tuesday claims two previous bishops in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese helped cover up the sexual abuse of hundreds of children going back to the 1960s.
The current bishop, Mark Bartchak, issued a statement saying he deeply regrets “any harm that has come to children.”
He says the diocese will continue cooperating with authorities.
He did not comment specifically on the report’s findings. He says the diocese is reviewing it.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests says one of the grand jury’s most significant findings was that a diocesan review board was not focused on helping victims.
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