PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call
Steve Esack
Contact Reporter
HARRISBURG — From the pulpits of Catholic churches to the platforms of social media, emotions are running high over a bill that would make it harder for some child sex abusers — and employers who protect them — to escape criminal and civil penalties.
During Sunday Masses in the Philadelphia Archdiocese and elsewhere Catholic priests, at the behest of their bishops, have denounced the bill and the state lawmakers who supported it.
The bill’s supporters, including legislators who have felt the clerics’ wrath, have accused the church of spreading falsehoods that the bill would financially cripple the church while leaving public institutions unscathed if they protect and harbor child molesters.
On Monday, the two sides will face off in the state Capitol. Child sex-abuse advocates are planning a rally before a 10 a.m. Senate hearing on the bill in which Attorney General Kathleen Kane and her solicitor general, Bruce Castor, are to speak and testify.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.