Investigations into the Catholic sex abuse scandal in California are escalating as state Attorney General Xavier Becerra announces the issuing of subpoenas.

Orders have already been issued to the dioceses of Orange and San Jose, and those in four other major California cities have been put on notice that they will soon be served.

The subpoenas mark another shift in the growing investigation of sexual assault by clergy in the Golden State’s Roman Catholic Churches.

Ensuring Compliance

Earlier this year, Becerra announced an audit of the 12 dioceses around the states, the purpose of which was to ensure compliance with reporting procedures of Catholic sex abuse cases. Dioceses were informed that all records were to be preserved and made accessible to investigators.

Steve Pehanich, Senior Director of Advocacy and Education for the California Catholic Conference, has questioned why subpoenas are now being issued, claiming that they have been sending records to Becerra voluntarily since the audit was announced.

Thus far, representatives of all of California’s dioceses, including those who are not presently being served with subpoenas, have said they they are fully cooperating with the Attorney General’s investigation.

On the side of victims, in January 2020, a new California victim law will go into effect to give those abused decades ago a voice.

An Old, Widespread Problem

The problem of sexual abuse of vulnerable parishioners is almost as old as the institution of the Church itself. In the 11^th Century, Benedictine monk St. Peter Damian wrote a treatise, titled “Liber Gomorrhianus” (Book of Gomorrah), addressing and condemning the sexual behavior of the clergy and calling upon Pope Leo IX to enact reforms. However, the Pope was eventually convinced that Damian’s report had been “exaggerated.”

The issue of Catholic sex abuse had been raised periodically over the century, most notably by the 16th-Century Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, who wrote that parishioners “often fall into the hands of priests who, under the pretense of confession, commit acts which are not fit to be mentioned.”

Despite these protestations, the issue of sexual assault was largely denied, covered up and/or ignored by the Catholic Church until it was forced into the open, beginning in the 1990s. The problem is widespread, occurring in virtually every nation on earth where the Roman Catholic Church has a significant presence. Recent pontiffs, including John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis, have all acknowledged the tragic history of Catholic sex abuse; the latter finally held a summit at the Vatican in February 2019 to discuss prevention strategies.

Catholic Sex Abuse in the U.S.

Here at home, the church sex abuse scandal was first publicized in 1985 when the priest of a parish in Louisiana pleaded guilty to 11 counts of abuse.

However, it was not until the publication of the John Jay Report in 2002 that the extent of the problem became clear. That investigation revealed approximately 11,000 allegations made against nearly 4,400 American priests over the previous 50 years. Most recently, the publication of a Grand Jury investigation in Pennsylvania revealed a “systematic coverup” of Catholic sex abuse cases.

According to BishopAccountability.org, settlements with victims from 1950 to 2012 have totaled over $3 billion, leading several Catholic dioceses to seek bankruptcy “protection.”

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.