Clergy Abuse

The Erie Diocese, identified by the Pennsylvania attorney general as a place where clergy sex abuse was widespread, is said to have spent nearly $12 million on its victim compensation program.

The diocese has been under financial strain from legal fees and payouts to people its clergy and other affiliates abused over many decades.

They’re adding new plaintiffs from the Philadelphia, Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg and Harrisburg dioceses.

“A lot of people need more time. Some people are just starting to come to grips with the abuse that happened to them, and they’re not ready.”

"The abuse scandal has had consequences on the financial condition of the diocese beyond the cost of settling claims. Diocesan parish offertory has declined since August 2018."

After a grand jury implicated more than 300 priests in a statewide sex scandal, nearly every case was too old to be prosecuted. Legislators say that problem inspired these new laws.

"We will make a decision very shortly on whether or not that's the best, really, for everyone."

One identifies a local priest as an alleged abuser for the first time, while the other accuses a former auxiliary bishop of providing "hush money" in a 1980s case.

"I think that has to be faced, and sooner rather than later. I would probably be the one to make that ultimate call, but I would want to make sure there wasn’t any other reasonable option.

"You pull on one thread with this, and the next thing you know, you're looking at all kinds of dots that are being connected across the country where the investigator is now being investigated. That's quite shocking."