Pa. priest abuse: Former Harrisburg bishop to release names of credibly accused priests

Ed Mahon | York Daily Record

Show Caption Hide Caption How Pennsylvania came to release a list of 300 Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse The attorney general's report comes after years of state and local law enforcement uncovering cases of sexual abuse within the Catholic church.

Kevin Rhoades, a former bishop for the Harrisburg diocese, said he will release the names of priests found credibly accused of abuse in the diocese that he now leads.

Rhoades, now the bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana, made the announcement at a Friday news conference, according to the South Bend Tribune.

He cited the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report, detailing abuse by more than 300 "predator" priests in six Roman Catholic Dioceses, as the impetus for his decision, the South Bend Tribune reported.

“In the shadow of this report, we must make an effort to regain the trust of our faithful and the communities we serve,” Rhoades said. “We must be vigilant in our efforts to protect our youth.”

Rhoades grew up in the Diocese of Allentown. His first assignment in the Harrisburg diocese was as parochial vicar at Saint Patrick Parish in York from 1983-1985.

He was ordained bishop in Harrisburg in December 2004. In November 2009, he was named bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana.

During Friday's news conference, Rhoades said that during his tenure as bishop in Fort Wayne-South Bend, he has publicly released the name of every priest that he has removed from ministry as a result of a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor.

More: Pa. grand jury report: Details of how Harrisburg bishops 'enabled the offenders'

But he said most dioceses have not released the names of previously credibly accused abusers. Only about one in four have done so, he said, according to a transcript of the news conference.

"It is my hope, that by releasing these names, the innocent victims of these horrific and heartbreaking crimes can finally begin the process of healing," Rhoades said.