Philadelphia, Pa., Oct 18, 2018 / 14:40 pm
The Department of Justice has served subpoenas to several dioceses in the state of Pennsylvania, in what is believed to be a state-wide move by federal authorities to investigate sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.
Chanceries across the Commonwealth were served with requests for documentation and files Oct. 18.
While Pennsylvania diocesan officials have not commented on the scope of the materials subpoenaed, a senior Church official told CNA the investigation concerns the federal crimes of transporting minors across state lines to abuse them, and the production or distribution of illegal pornography, including electronically.
The files requested of at least one diocese date back only to 2001, the official said.