COLUMBUS (OH)
Columbus Dispatch
September 9, 2018
By Danae King
In the wake of a Pennsylvania grand jury report that revealed allegations of more than 1,000 children being sexually abused by more than 300 priests, some people want every Roman Catholic diocese in the nation — including those in Ohio — to be investigated.
Perhaps the most public call to action in central Ohio is a sign in front of Downtown’s St. Joseph Cathedral that reads: “Disgust and sorrow on clergy sexual abuse and sexual misconduct. Accountability. Reforms!”
The Rev. Michael Lumpe, who wrote the sign, said investigations like the one in Pennsylvania need to happen everywhere.
“This is not who we are as a church; this is not who we are as priests,” said Lumpe, the rector at St. Joseph’s. “There has been a systemic failure in some corners of the church, and we’re going to find out what happened and why.”
The Pennsylvania investigation, which took about two years and was conducted by a grand jury empaneled by the state attorney general, found widespread sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy members in six dioceses — Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg and Scranton — as well as a “circle of secrecy” around priests hiding the abuse within church structures. Earlier grand jury reports found evidence of abuse in the two other Pennsylvania dioceses, Philadelphia and Altoona-Johnstown.
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