CLEVELAND (AP) - Another Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio plans to make public the names of priests who have been accused of sexual abuse.
The Catholic Diocese of Columbus said Wednesday it intends to release a list within the next few months that will include priests who've been credibly accused of abuse, both living or dead.
The diocese says in a statement that the diocese understands it's an important step to restore confidence in the church and its clergy.
Three of Ohio's six dioceses now say they will release new lists in the wake of a Pennsylvania grand jury report that listed more than 300 clergy.
Steubenville diocese spokesman Dino Orsatti told the Associated Press Bishop Jeffrey Monforton wants the names of abusive priests made public in the interests of transparency and accountability. He estimated the list will include between 12 and 20 names after the diocesan review.
The Diocese of Youngstown announced earlier this month that it would release its list of abusive of priests sometime in the coming weeks.
The Diocese of Cleveland tells WKYC that in 2002, it posted a list of 22 clerics who had been removed from ministry as a result of allegations of child sex abuse. They have continued to update that list since that time whenever a cleric has removed from ministry as a result of allegations of child sex abuse.