Pittsburgh, Pa., Aug 13, 2018 / 08:30 am
Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh has confirmed that some of the priests named in the Pennsylvania grand jury report into sexual abuse remain in active ministry. The report is expected to be released at 2 p.m. on August 14.
Bishop Zubik made the announcement while speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on August 10. At the same time, the bishop stressed that there is "no priest or deacon in an assignment today against whom there was a substantiated allegation of child sexual abuse." He also pledged to meet with parishioners in the days following the report's release to underscore how and why an allegation was found to be unsubstantiated.
Canon law provides that, whenever an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is received by diocesan authorities, the bishop is obligated to hold a preliminary investigation to determine if there is a "semblance of truth" to the claim. This standard, canon lawyers say, is minimal and only determines if the accusation is not "manifestly false or frivolous."
If the accusation is not demonstrably false, the case is sent to Rome for further consideration at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who determine how the canonical process should proceed.