The Archdiocese of Newark released a list Wednesday of 63 Roman Catholic clergy members that it said have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors dating back to 1940.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop, said in a statement that he hoped the disclosure “will help bring healing to those whose lives have been so deeply violated.”
New Jersey is one of more than two dozen states where dioceses have released the names of abusive clergy members since a Pennsylvania grand jury report in August identified over 300 predator priests.
In the wake of the Pennsylvania report, New Jersey’s attorney general formed a task force last fall to conduct a criminal investigation into sexual abuse by clergy in the state.
Newark’s list includes Theodore McCarrick, a former Newark archbishop who served as Washington, D.C., archbishop from 2000 to 2006. McCarrick was removed from public ministry in June.
All of the clergy members on the list are described as deceased or having been removed from ministry, and about half have been named in previous news reports. About half are believed to be responsible for multiple victims.
New Jersey’s four other dioceses are expected to release names soon of clergy members suspected of abusing minors.
The number of named clerics on the Newark list is likely to grow larger, as the current list doesn’t include those who are currently the focus of lawsuits. The archdiocese said those names would be added if accusations are found to be credible.
The Newark list doesn’t include details about the allegations or when they are alleged to have happened. In a letter posted on the archdiocese’s website, Tobin wrote that all the names on the list were previously reported to law enforcement but didn’t say what steps were taken at the time.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.