The US Justice Department has opened an investigation into child sex abuse by hundreds of Catholic priests in the state of Pennsylvania, following the recent publication of a report on decades of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.
The Catholic dioceses in the cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie and Allentown said Thursday they had received federal subpoenas following a state grand jury report in August that alleged over 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania had sexually abused children over 70 years.
The dioceses said they were cooperating with the investigation but declined further comment.
The Associated Press first reported on Thursday the Justice Department investigation.
The sex abuse report made public two months ago by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro after a two-year investigation contained graphic examples of children being sexually abused by clergymen.
The report cited 301 priests, some of whom…