New York is the latest diocese to reveal names of clergy accused of sexual abuse

The abuse scandal that has plagued the Catholic Church around the world for decades continues to unravel.

Five deacons and 115 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors were identified by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York on Friday after urging from victims' advocates. The disclosure is one of the largest ever made by the Catholic Church. New York is just the latest in a series of dioceses across the United States that have revealed findings of internal investigations into the abuse crisis.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the archbishop of New York, asked for forgiveness "for the failings of those clergy and bishops who should have provided for the safety of our young people but instead betrayed the trust placed in them."

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The announcement comes as the diocese braces for alternative findings from law enforcement investigations. The attorneys general in New York and New Jersey have both initiated inquiries into clergy sexual abuse, as have several other states.

The archdiocese of New York is one of the largest Catholic communities in the U.S., comprising of an estimated 2.8 million Catholics with nearly 300 parishes. Read more at The New York Times.