Over the past three decades, the Catholic Church has faced an unprecedented public crisis of clergy sexual abuse and cover-ups. Court-ordered releases of internal church files, evidence from criminal trials, civil cases, grand jury investigations, and state attorneys general inquiries across the United States have exposed a widespread and systematic pattern of child abuse by thousands of Catholic clergy, with data suggesting that upwards of 1 in 10 Catholic clergy over the past 50 years have likely committed acts of sexual abuse. While the American Catholic bishops have determined from internal church investigations that over 8,000 clerics sexually assaulted children, only 3 percent have ever faced criminal prosecution.

The Catholic Community in Washington State

The Catholic Church is the largest religious denomination in Washington State with nearly one million members. The state comprises three geographical dioceses: the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Diocese of Yakima, and the Diocese of Spokane. These dioceses are operated under the authority of five members of the Catholic hierarchy appointed by the Pope (1 Archbishop and 4 bishops) and answerable only to him.

There are 265 Catholic parishes in Washington State along with 72 primary and secondary schools with 19,800 students. All dioceses are chartered by the State of Washington as 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporations. Unlike profit making companies, 501(c)(3) corporations are formed to serve the public good, such as charitable, educational and other public service reasons. If a nonprofit corporation is found to be in violation of state law, their 501(c)(3) status can be revoked. Additionally, as a religious organization, property owned by the Catholic Church is not taxed.

Currently, 1,150 priests, permanent deacons, and male and female religious members work in parishes, schools, and ministries under the direct supervision of these five bishops.

Clergy Abuse Documentation and Reporting Obligations

All three Washington State dioceses are required under church law to document and retain all allegations and reports of criminal rape, sexual assault, and abuse against children by clergy. These records are stored in a designated "secret archive" with specific instructions on housing, maintenance, and access. Every cleric with an abuse report has a file containing all allegations, written reports, and actions taken by the bishop in the case. The known cases of abuse reported to dioceses in Washington State span from 1960 to the present.

Contrary to current Washington State law, clergy, including bishops and church officials who receive abuse reports, are not mandated to report known or suspected child abuse to law enforcement, unlike other professions working with children and families. Additionally, state law does not prohibit religious organizations from hiring, transferring, or concealing known or suspected clergy sex offenders to new assignments, or notifying congregations about a cleric with a history of abuse allegations.

Despite attempts by state lawmakers over the past twenty years to introduce legislation making clergy mandatory reporters, these efforts have been unsuccessful, facing resistance from the well-funded and organized political lobbying wing of the state’s bishops. 

Lists of Abusive Clergy

The bishops of Washington State have disclosed the identities of clergy accused of sexually abusing children only fairly recently, amid growing public safety concerns. A list of 149 clergy has been compiled and published by the three dioceses without involvement from law enforcement or justice officials, including the state attorney general's office, as there has been no review or investigation conducted by them. 

The lists of these clergy from each of the dioceses and three religious orders with a significant number of accused priests from Washington State is posted below.