The Archdiocese of Washington is to be subject to an investigation into clerical sex abuse.
In a statement released yesterday (23 October), Washington DC attorney general Karl Racinev said that “while we generally don’t talk publicly about our confidential enforcement activity, I can report that our office has launched a civil investigation into whether the Archdiocese – which is a nonprofit institution – violated the District’s Nonprofit Act by potentially covering up allegations of sexual abuse of minors.”
A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office declined to comment when asked whether the investigation is in response to allegations it had received, Catholic News Agency report.
The Archdiocese of Washington is currently led by Cardinal Donald Wuerl as interim-administrator pending the appointment of a successor by Pope Francis.
A spokesman for the diocese has said the archdiocese is keen to cooperate with the investigation, and has encouraged the attorney general to consider extending the investigation.
Following the publication of the Pennsylvania grand jury report in July, attorneys general Michigan, Missouri, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey have announced similar inquiries.
On 24 October, Pope Francis removed Bishop Martin Holley of Memphis, Tennessee, from the pastoral governance of the diocese and has named as apostolic administrator Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky.
Bishop Holley, a former auxiliary bishop of Washington, was installed on 19 October 2016, as the fifth bishop of Memphis. He succeeded Bishop J. Terry Steib when he retired.