VATICAN CITY (AP) – The largest association of Roman Catholic nuns in the United States urged its members Monday to report any sexual abuse of religious sisters by clergy and demanded that church authorities “take action to end a culture of silence, hold abusers accountable and provide support to those abused.”
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents about 80 percent of Catholic sisters in the U.S., issued a statement Monday in response to an Associated Press report about several sisters coming forward recently to denounce assaults by priests and bishops.
The LCWR said it didn’t have data on incidents in the U.S., but thanked the sisters for speaking out.
“We understand that reporting abuse requires courage and fortitude, however, bringing this horrific practice to light may be the only way that sexual abuse by those in positions of trust in the church community will be put to an end,” the association’s statement said.
The conference has about 1,300 members in 300 orders. LCWR said it reached out to its members and urged them to report any cases to both church and civil authorities.