3 Franciscan leaders charged in abuse at central Pennsylvania school

[Eugene]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Three former superiors of a Franciscan religious order face felony charges for allegedly conspiring to enable a serial predator to sexually assault more than 100 Catholic high school students in Johnstown and elsewhere as part of an even wider trail of devastation across multiple states and decades.

The state charges announced today represent one of the broadest-ever drives to hold the Roman Catholic hierarchy to account in any American criminal court for the sexual abuse of minors by those under their supervision.

Filed by the state attorney general’s office, the charges were recommended by the same statewide grand jury that released a report two weeks ago blasting the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown for decades of covering up sexual abuse by more than 50 priests and other church leaders.

But the Altoona-Johnstown report resulted in no criminal charges due to what prosecutors said were the time constraints of the statute of limitations. In this case, however, the grand jury did find cause to allege a years-long conspiracy on the part of leaders of the Blair County-based Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Franciscan Friar, Third Order Regular.

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Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2016/03/15/Attorney-general-Kane-criminal-charges-involving-Franciscan-religious-order-in-central-Pennsylvania/stories/201603150134

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March 15, 2016 11:00 AM
By Peter Smith / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[TipTok]

1. Another amazing chapter for religion...

[valerief]

2. +1

[Blue Dalek]

3. My hubby's son is in his second year with the Franciscans.

Great guy! Hubby was a little sad his son chose to be a priest but supports him completely. We both know he will be a very progressive priest b/c of his understanding and support of our relationship and LGBT people in general.