New Jersey Catholic Bishop says that province will no longer oppose the investigation of allegations of misconduct

Camden: The Catholic Bishop of New Jersey Suba said that he would no longer oppose a state grand jury investigation of the pastor sexual abuse that the church is fighting behind the doors closed in court for years. Camden Bishop Joseph Williams, who occupied the province in March, told Philadelphia Inquareer on Monday that the Suba no longer wants to stop the Attorney General’s office from seating to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation by priests and other religious authorities. Williams told the newspaper that it was important to help those who harmed the church and do not want to stop listening to their voices. Williams said, “Our people need to hear this, the pastor needs to hear that it never happens again, first,” Williams said. On Tuesday, a message seeking comment was left with the province. A week after the lawyers’ lawyers for diocese to argue before the state Supreme Court, there was a change that prosecutors did not have the authority under court rules to use a grand jury to investigate private church officials. Instead, the lawyers argued that the rule requires grand jury presentations to deal with public officials and government. The High Court has not yet issued an opinion on arguments. It is not immediately clear how the new position of the bishop will affect his decision. The State Attorney General’s office said in an email statement on Tuesday that he “welcomes introspection that produced this change in the state of the condition of the Camden.” The statement said that the prosecutors are still subject to the lower court orders that block the investigation. Mark Crawford, the state director of the survivor network for the misbehavior by priests, said in a text message on Tuesday that the change was “long -over -over -over -over”. “We are carefully optimistic because it is definitely the right thing to do and for the right reasons,” he said. “It should have been long ago and it is encouraging to see bishop Williams taking a different view.” The issue is for a Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report in 2018, which was found that more than 1,000 children were misused in the state since the 1940s, inspiring the New Jersey Attorney General to announce a similar investigation. But the results of New Jersey investigations were never partially public as a legal battle led by Camden’s Suba came behind the closed doors amidst the sealing action. Then, this year, the Bergon Record obtained records in favor of the diocese, revealing the records of the trial court and revealed the objection to the Grand Jury. And in March, the Supreme Court ordered more documents in the case. The main disagreement is over whether the court rule allows the grand jerses to issue conclusions in cases associated with private individuals in New Jersey. Trial and appellate courts were found for Suba. In oral arguments, Justice of the Supreme Court several times expressed doubts about the situation of Suba that the grand jury investigation would be to condemn the church and its officials. “We don’t know what a grand jury will say, am I right?” Justice Anne Patterson asked at that time.