PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By PennLive Editorial Board penned@pennlive.com
To say the Catholic Church has suffered from something of a credibility and transparency gap when it comes to dealing with allegations of clergy sexual abuse is the mildest of understatements.
Still, activists and survivors of clerical abuse have been unremitting in their call for local dioceses to release the names of priests accused of sexually abusing children.
They correctly argue that such a move would increase transparency, help victims to heal, and prevent abusers from living anonymously among unsuspecting families.
Disappointingly, most Catholic dioceses have declined to release such lists, furthering an atmosphere of distrust.
On Friday, however, officials in the Erie Catholic dioceses threw open the church doors and let the sun shine in, publishing a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people who are facing credible accusations of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior.
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