The Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha says it has turned over documents to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office that name 38 clergy members credibly accused of sexual misconduct involving minors since 1978. None of the accused clergy currently serve in the Archdiocese and 34 of the accused offended before 2002. Omaha Archbishop George Lucas apologized to the victims of the alleged abuse.
Watch Archbishop Lucas's comments on archdiocesan report
“To those who have been abused by members of the clergy and to your families, I offer my sincere apology on behalf of the people of God,” Lucas said. “I’m sorry for what you have experienced in the Church and I pray that you will experience the healing that the Lord desires for you.”
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Reports of sexual abuse have rocked the Catholic Church. In Nebraska, church leaders and parishioners are grappling with how to respond. Read Fred Knapp's story "Catholics Grapple With Reported Abuse" from November 8, 2018.
The Omaha Archdiocese released the names of the accused clergy after a request in September from Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson. Archbishop Lucas says part of the healing process for the Archdiocese and victims is to admit that abuse took place.
“We cannot change the sins and betrayals of the past but we acknowledge these ugly truths of the past so that we can repent and so that we can be resolute in our determination that these things will not be repeated,” Lucas said.
The report says some of the instances of abuse took place 60 years ago, but were only reported after 1978. Attorney General Peterson has also requested documentation on sexual abuse involving clergy members from the Diocese of Lincoln and Diocese of Grand Island going back 40 years.
Editor's Note: A correction was made to this story to reflect Lincoln and Grand Island are dioceses and not archdioceses.