Illinois AG: Catholic Church withheld names of more than 500 priests accused of abuse

In a stark report released Wednesday, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan concluded that the Catholic Church withheld the names of at least 500 priests in the state accused of sexually abusing minors.

Because of this omission, Madigan said, she does not believe the Illinois dioceses are able to investigate themselves and "will not resolve the clergy sexual abuse crisis on their own." In a statement, the archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, said he wants "to express again the profound regret of the whole church for our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse. It is the courage of victim-survivors that has shed purifying light on this dark chapter in church history."

Madigan did not seek re-election, and her replacement, Kwame Raoul — who will take office in a few days — said he will continue the investigation.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up