“The Grand Jury Report on six Pennsylvania dioceses details dreadful reports of sexual abuse of children and equally appalling indifference to victims. I would like to offer my heartfelt sympathy and support to all of those victimized by abusive priests.
During my time in Harrisburg and now here in Fort Wayne-South Bend, I have upheld an unwavering commitment to child safety, closely following all policies and procedures put in place. The Grand Jury Report mentions two incidents during my time as Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg. In both of those situations, I followed all child protection policies and procedures, notified law enforcement, and took other action as appropriate, since each of the accused priests had already been removed from public ministry due to previous allegations. For more details on those cases and how they were handled, I would direct you to the letter I wrote to the Grand Jury which is attached to its report.
If we are to regain the trust of our faithful and the communities we serve, we must be vigilant in our efforts to protect our youth. My commitment to this effort remains as strong today as it was during my time in Harrisburg.”
To view Bishop Rhoades’ Response to Excerpts of the Fortieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Report Number 1, please click here:
