US diocese says 71 members of Church were accused of child sex abuse

It announced their names will be stripped from all church properties.

The Harrisburg list includes 37 priests, three deacons and six seminarians from the diocese, nine clergy members from other dioceses and 16 from religious communities.

The bishop said the conduct was classified as indecent behaviour, inappropriate behaviour such as kissing and inappropriate communication with children.

At a news conference to detail the church’s actions, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer apologised to those who were abused, the Catholic faithful and the community and expressed his “profound sorrow”.

“Many of those victimised as children continue to suffer as survivors from the harm they experienced,” said the bishop, who was appointed in 2014.

With its announcement, the Harrisburg Diocese became the second of six dioceses under investigation by the state to get out in front of a pending grand jury report on clergy sex abuse.

The Erie Diocese released its own findings on clergy abuse in April.

The release of the nearly 900-page state grand jury report has been held up by challenges by some priests and former priests.

The state Supreme Court ruled last week a version with some names blacked out can be made public as early as next week.

The court said it identified more than 300 “predator priests” in the six dioceses.

The bishop said the Harrisburg Diocese was making public the names of…