Priesthood didn't cause sexual abuse, report says

A study of the "causes and context" of clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, prepared for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asserts that the abuse crisis is mostly over and was part of a broad trend toward individualism and diminished social norms in the 1970s and '80s. "There was no single cause," the authors found after studying sexual abuse of minors by priests between 1950 and 2010.

Section:Gallery

Wed., May 18, 2011

David Lorenz, center, and his wife Judy Lorenz, left, protest outside the headquarters of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops before the release of the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse, Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in Washington. The study, commissioned by the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, concluded that homosexuality, celibacy and an all-male priesthood did not cause the scandal.

Pablo Monsivais Associated Press
Karen Terry, top, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, bottom seated, are seen during a news conference by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as they release the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse at USCCB headquarters, Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in Washington. The study, commissioned by the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, concluded that homosexuality, celibacy and an all-male priesthood did not cause the scandal.

Pablo Monsivais Associated Press
Photographs of children who here abused by members of the Catholic clergy line the sidewalk during a protest outside the headquarters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops before the release of the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse, Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in Washington.

Pablo Monsivais Associated Press
Barbara Blaine, and a victim of abuse, holds a photograph of herself as a young girl, during a protest outside the headquarters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops before the release of the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse, Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in Washington.

Pablo Monsivais Associated Press
Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane is greeted following a news conference by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops releasing the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in Washington. The study, commissioned by the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, concluded that homosexuality, celibacy and an all-male priesthood did not cause the scandal.

Pablo Monsivais Associated Press
From left: Karen Terry, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane and Diane M. Knight get up from their seat following a news conference by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops releasing the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse at the conference headquarters, Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in Washington. The study, commissioned by the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, concluded that homosexuality, celibacy and an all-male priesthood did not cause the scandal.

Pablo Monsivais Associated Press