244 priests face child abuse claims

THE Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles — America’s largest — released a detailed study yesterday on child sex abuse by its clergy since 1930, reporting the highest number of claims against a US diocese to date.

Los Angeles church officials say that, over the decades, they received allegations from 656 people who said they had been molested by 244 priests, deacons, religious brothers, seminarians and one other person.

More than 5,000 priests worked in the archdiocese during that period.

Cardinal Roger Mahony compiled the report as part of an unprecedented, nationwide accounting of abuse cases commissioned by America’s bishops to help ease two years of crisis over molestation in the church.

“The archdiocese has committed significant resources to help those who were harmed to recover from their horrible experiences,” the report said. “We hope our efforts will help, but we realise that only the grace of God can provide the complete healing the victims need.”

A national study is to be released on February 27.

CNN reported it had seen a draft of the national survey, and 4,450 clergy nationwide had been accused of molesting minors since 1950.

The LA Archdiocese acknowledged it is at the centre of a “tempest of blame and criticism” over how it dealt with victims and accused priests.

Mahony has been targeted for pledging full disclosure of information about clergy misconduct, then fighting the release of some personnel files to a grand jury, including records of counselling for priests.

The archdiocese is also facing a flood of civil cases.