ERIE (PA)
Erie News Now
August 14, 2018
By John Last
Bishop Emeritus Trautman says he will stand on his record of addressing clergy abuse and helping victims.
Bishop Emeritus Donald Trautman has released a lengthy written statement in response to the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sex abuse. In the statement, Trautman said he stands on his record of addressing such abuse.
Earlier this month. The Office of Attorney General and Trautman reached an agreement in which Trautman would allow the grand jury investigation of the Erie Catholic Diocese to be released without redaction. The attorney general would stipulate that specific questionable actions taken by some bishops across Pennsylvania were not employed by Trautman. The agreement apparently did not cover some allegations against Trautman that Attorney General Josh Shapiro mentioned during his news conference today.
In the case of former priest Chester Gawronski, Shapiro outlined incidents where Gawronski reportedly gave children what Gawronski called “cancer checks.” Those incidents occurred in the 1980s and earlier. Shapiro said Gawronski remained in the priesthood under various assignments.
Trautman,in his statement, said Gawronski was serving an assignment given to him by Trautman’s predecessor, Bishop Michael Murphy when Trautman became bishop in 1990. The assignment was at a nursing home and included no contact with children. His later assignments were also at nursing homes. Trautman says he kept Gawronski at the nursing homes in deference to Bishop Murphy, but in hindsight, probably would have acted differently.
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