PITTSBURGH (PA)
90.5 WESA/NPR
August 18, 2018
By Kathleen Davis
The release of a massive grand jury report into sexual abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania is posing a challenge for priests who will address the report to their parishioners this weekend. The roughly 900-page report includes horrid reports of of “predator priests” that conducted “criminal and/or morally reprehensible conduct” — often covered up for decades.
In response, the Diocese of Pittsburgh has requested all their priests read a letter at weekend masses addressing the report. It reads, in part, “We cannot bury our heads in the sand. There were instances in the past when the Church acted in ways that did not respond effectively to victims.” The letter also outlines some ways the Diocese plans to improve how it addresses and reports abuse, including hiring a former state prosecutor to review their policies related to child protection.
Father Lou Vallone says the grand jury report has certainly been on the minds of people in his congregation. He is the priest at St. John of God, a gothic-style Catholic church in McKees Rocks, just outside of Pittsburgh. He’s been at the church for 15 years, but has been a priest in Western Pennsylvania for 45.
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