The recent filing of five lawsuits in St. Louis and neighboring counties has brought to light allegations of childhood abuse by dozens of Catholic priests, nuns, and others, with a total of 60 people coming forward as victims. Among those accused is Omaha Archbishop George Lucas, who vehemently denies the accusations against him. The lawsuits seek unspecified damages and claim that the abuse dates back as far as the 1940s, with some cases as recent as 2015.
The lawsuits also name the Archdiocese of St. Louis and its current archbishop, Mitchell T. Rozanski, alleging a cover-up of sexual abuse that spanned decades and allowed numerous instances of abuse to occur. Some of the accused individuals are still alive, raising concerns that they could continue to harm others. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has expressed alarm at the potential for these individuals to reoffend.
In response to the allegations, Archbishop Lucas has denied any wrongdoing and referred the matter to the apostolic nuncio in Washington, D.C. for guidance. The lawsuits paint a troubling picture of abuse within the Catholic Church, with claims of children being threatened and abused over several years. The Archdiocese of St. Louis had previously released the names of 61 clergy members facing substantiated allegations of abuse in 2019, following a national report on the abuse of children by priests dating back to the 1940s.
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