PITTSBURGH (PA)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
December 17, 2018
By Peter Smith
A man who said he was sexually abused by a priest in the early 1980s in Monroeville is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and its two most recent bishops, alleging they covered up for the abuser and failed to report him to authorities.
The lawsuit by Richard Bieranowski alleges fraud, conspiracy and constructive conspiracy on the part of the diocese, current Bishop David Zubik and his predecessor, now-Cardinal Donald Wuerl.
It said former priest William Yockey sexually abused him in 1981 and 1982 while he was assigned to St. Bernadette Parish in Monroeville. It said then-Father Yockey exploited the boy’s trust in him as a mentor and sexually abused him in settings including the church rectory.
The lawsuit said Mr. Bieranowski only learned of the extent of the diocese’s alleged cover-up with the August release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report on seven decades of abuse and coverup within Pittsburgh’s and five other dioceses.
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