Texas Catholic Dioceses to Unveil Names of Clergy accused of Sexual Abuse – News – Austin American-Statesman

As pressure rises more and more in the Catholic dioceses of the country for them to know how they treated the abusive priests, the 15 Catholic bishops of Texas announced Wednesday the upcoming publication of the names of clergy accused " in a credible way "of sexual assault on children.

"My hope of publishing these names is to be transparent and to start rebuilding trust with the people I grow," said Bishop of Austin, Joe Vásquez, in a statement. "This is only one of the measures taken in response to the crisis in our church.As bishop of the diocese of Austin, I am committed to protecting children from indeed, that is what Christ expects of me and of all those who serve His people. "

"I am particularly concerned for the victims who have been abused by the clergy and I beg their pardon. I continue to pray for their healing and well-being, "he said.

Through its Ethics and Integrity in Ministry program, the Diocese of Austin has followed the Charter of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for the Protection of Children and Youth since its inception in 2002, according to the press release. The program requires that all persons in the department, including the clergy, undergo training and a criminal record check every three years. The diocese has trained over 79,400 people in this program.

The 15 Catholic dioceses of Texas decided in late September to publish the names, according to a press release.

"It is an action that responds to the call of the faithful for greater accountability and transparency," said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, in a press release.

There are 8.5 million Catholics and 1,320 Catholic parishes in Texas.

"It will take some time for the files to be reviewed and there may be people reporting new information as a result of this announcement," Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, Archbishop of San Antonio, said in a statement. release. "My brother bishops of Texas and I agree that transparency in this painful case of sexual abuse can help the healing of survivors and the transformation of our church. "

This is a story in development.