Trapped in the midst of a global public relations nightmare, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is drastically expanding its effort to publicly identify clerics who were removed from their positions because of credible sexual assault allegations.
The diocese has already released the names of accused clergy from 2002 to the present, but now, local religious officials will compile a list that dates back through the 1900s.
The diocese plans to publish the list in the near term, according to Deacon Jim Armstrong.
A handful of other Ohio dioceses, including Columbus, Youngstown and Steubenville, have taken similar steps, after a Pennsylvania grand jury revealed in August that 300 priests were named in a sexual assault probe dating back to the 1940s.
It’s not yet clear how many names the Cleveland diocese will release.
Return to Cleveland 19 for updates on this developing story.