Group Calls On Cardinal Daniel DiNardo: 'Come Clean 100 Percent'
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A day after a state Supreme Court ruling that the names of 11 accused Roman Catholic clergy should not be made public, a group is calling on Cardinal Daniel DiNardo to be more transparent.
The state grand jury report, released earlier this year, names more than 300 priests statewide accused of abusing children. But 11 names have been redacted.
The state Supreme Court said in the ruling on Monday that revealing those names would violate the state constitutional right of the 11 clergy to have their reputation protected.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro was angered by the court's decision.
"It really just allows predator priests to remain in the shadows, and it permits the church to continue to conceal their identities," said Shapiro. "I think I'm going to continue to stand with survivors to ensure that every single victim get their day in court, and every single predator priest and church official who enabled that abuse is ultimately held to account."
Shapiro says that although he cannot release the names, the state's bishops should.
And, now, representatives with another group, Road to Recovery, Inc., is calling on Cardinal Daniel DiNardo "to reveal what he knows about allegations of sexual abuse of children, teenagers and vulnerable adults by clergy."
Cardinal DiNardo is the current Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, but previously served many roles in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Members of Road to Recovery Inc., clergy sexual abuse survivors Dr. Robert Hoatson and James Faluszczak, held a news conference Tuesday outside the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese headquarters Downtown.
"We are here today to call on Cardinal Daniel DiNardo to come clean 100 percent," said Hoatson. "When he knelt down in 2007 before Pope Benedict, and was named a cardinal of the Catholic Church, he made a promise to Pope Benedict, as all cardinals do, he pledged to Pope Benedict that he would keep secret anything that would cause scandal or embarrassment to his church. We are here today to ask Cardinal DiNardo to break that pledge, and to ask Pope Francis not to enforce that pledge on any of his bishops or priests."
WATCH: Full News Conference --
- RELATED STORY: Pa. Supreme Court: Names Of 11 Clergy Cited In Grand Jury Report Should Not Be Released
They are asking something else of Cardinal DiNardo as well.
"Come clean about whatever you know about any priest or deacon in this diocese that has committed any kind of clergy sexual abuse. We also want Cardinal DiNardo to come clean about the policy of shredding files or getting rid of files," Hoatson said.
The release of the report resulted in the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl in October, and the removal of his name from North Catholic High School.
There have also been calls for the resignation of current Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese Bishop David Zubik, but he has pushed back saying the church has made drastic improvements over the past 30 years.
