Incidents of priest abuse of minor children and vulnerable adults continue to be reported. Some attribute this epidemic to failures by the Catholic Church to enforce its own policies and procedures.

Furthermore, these incidents are not confined to a few dioceses in major U.S. cities. This scandal has been going on in dioceses around the world. It has gotten to the point that Pope Francis himself, who has drawn criticism for not speaking out more forcefully on the issue, has finally called a conference of bishops to address the issue of priest abuse. 

In the U.S., where instances of priest abuse have been discovered in communities across the country, secular lawmakers are now strongly considering taking steps that would force the Church to be more assertive and consistent in removing offending clergy and protecting victims.

History and Background of Priest Abuse in the U.S.

The Catholic Church’s dark secret began to be revealed over three decades ago. In 2002, the story came to national attention when the Boston Globe published its now-famous investigation on priest abuse. That story, which earned the Globe a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, resulted in the criminal prosecutions of five clergymen and the resignation of the Archbishop of Boston, Bernard Law.

The investigation revealed that Law was aware were dozens of cases of priest abuse over the previous two decades – but failed to take meaningful action to protect victims. Instead, he engaged what amounted to a massive cover-up.

The investigation also led to the Archdiocese of Boston having to pay out a total of $95 million to victims and their families.

The John Jay Report

Two years after the Boston Globe investigation broke, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice issued a report, revealing over 11,000 cases of priest abuse of minor children dating back to 1950. Interestingly, that report found that more than half of the cases involved one-time offenders, and very few had themselves been an abused or had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, 27 percent of the cases reviewed in the John Jay Report involved priests who had faced multiple allegations.

The Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report

In August 2018, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released its own report. An extensive investigation of six dioceses across the Keystone State revealed details of priest abuse that included what the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) called a “playbook” used by Church authorities for dealing with allegations of child molestation and abuse over the last half of the 20th century.

CARA, a social science research organization affiliated with Georgetown University, has also found over 300 cases of alleged priest abuse that have occurred since the publication of the Boston Globe investigation.

Secular Intervention On the Horizon?

Legislators in Virginia and the District of Columbia are now considering legislation that would require members of the clergy to report suspected child abuse, as is currently mandatory for public school teachers and physicians. The new legislation would require such reporting even if the victim is no longer a child. It would also increase penalties for those who fail to file reports of priest abuse, and calls for funding training programs to educate mandatory reporters on their responsibilities under the law.