Catholic bishops in the US are calling for a Vatican-led investigation after prosecutors found over 300 priests abused children in one state.
The request from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops comes after officials found that over 1,000 children were molested by clergy in Pennsylvania.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the group’s president, called the scandal a “failure of episcopal leadership”.
It comes days after the largest-ever probe of Catholic sex abuse in the US.
US priests ‘abused thousands of children’
WARNING: Readers may find details in this story disturbing.
The report from a Pennsylvania grand jury found that 301 priests abused children in the state over the past 70 years.
It also found that some abusers and those that covered up their crimes were later elevated to senior roles in the church.
Vatican officials are under pressure to comment on the report’s findings.
