HARRISBURG (PA)
Penn Live
August 1, 2018
By David Wenner
The leader of the Harrisburg Diocese considers it a significant action, and one he expects some will view as going too far. But it doesn’t go far enough for Shaun Dougherty, who was sexually abused by a priest as a child.
“Removing the names of priests from buildings is not going to remove the memories from my mind,” Dougherty said on Wednesday.
Dougherty was reacting to the announcement by Bishop Ronald Gainer that names of all bishops dating back to 1947 will be removed from buildings, halls and rooms within the diocese. While many of those bishops haven’t been accused of a crime, the move is intended as an acknowledgment of their failure to protect children from sexual abuse.
Rather than remove names from buildings, Dougherty said, Gainer should withdraw lobbyists working against a proposed Pennsylvania bill that would lift the statue of limitations for criminal and civil charges against priests accused of sexual assaults.
Also on Wednesday, Gainer released names of 71 Harrisburg Diocese priests and other clergy who have been accused of child abuse.
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