Bishop Lawrence Persico is back in Erie after attending the 3-day U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore earlier this week.

The bishops adjourned the conference without taking any action in response to clergy sex abuse cases within the church. The bishops were poised to initiate serious changes in protocol concerning how future abuse allegations are handled. But, no votes were taken.
           

The Vatican stepped in and asked the U.S. bishops to wait until Pope Francis presides over a conference of bishops from around the world in February that will address clergy sex abuse. Bishop Persico says he was disappointed that no votes were taken but was somewhat satisfied that, at least, a consensus was reached on several proposals, including making bishops more accountable for their actions.
     

Bishop Emeritus Donald Trautman spoke against some of the proposals. Erie News Now asked Bishop Persico if his predecessor's comments made him uncomfortable.

"No.  I mean he's going to say what he wants to say.  I don't agree with it, but that's his opinion,” Persico said.

 

Bishop Persico says there may be an advantage of waiting for Pope Francis to sign off on the American bishop's proposals. Persico says that way, it gives the proposals more authority and some bishops won't  "weasel out of it."