CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- An prominent attorney is calling on leadership of the Archdiocese of Chicago and other Catholic dioceses in Illinois to release the names of priests from religious orders, who have been accused of sexual abuse.
Religious orders have their own leadership and operate freely within a Catholic diocese with the permission of the local bishop.
Minnesota-based attorney Jeff Anderson said there have been 117 religious order priests in ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago, who have been accused of sexual abuse. He added the names of only two have been disclosed to the public.
"How many more are roaming the landscape as we speak?" he said.
Anderson said he has the list of names of religious order priests accused of abuse, because the orders keep that information private.
"They do not disclose that information, even though they know these offenders have been accused or have committed the crime of child sexual abuse," he said.
The Archdiocese didn't comment on Anderson's news conference, but Cardinal Cupich has called on religious orders that operate in the Archdiocese to give him information about members who have been accused of sexual abuse.
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