More than four years ago -- the Chicago Archdiocese released thousands of documents detailing allegations of priest abuse. The crisis is not over.
With the allegations and removal of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and the Pennsylvania grand jury report, now Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is asking to meet with Catholic officials in all six Illinois dioceses. Madigan has identified seven priests who served in Illinois from the Pennsylvania report.
Marc Pearlman is an attorney who represents survivors.
"This is not a Chicago problem, it's not an Illinois problem, this is a worldwide problem within the leadership of how the Catholic church has dealt with this issue," Pearlman said.
Cardinal Blase Cupich -- in Dublin this week for Pope Francis' visit there -- other cardinals from Washington, D.C. and Boston, cancelled their plans to attend because of the fallout from the priest abuse crisis.
"Pope francis says greater accountability, urgently, not only for those who committed these crimes but also for those who covered them up, which in many cases means bishops," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said.
The Chicago Archdiocese says it looks forward to meeting with Madigan and notes it has been working with the Cook and Lake county state's attorney's offices.
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"Could there be anything more important than the welfare of children and holding institutions responsible for covering up these heinous crimes," Pearlman said.
Friday afternoon the attorney general from New York also announced a preliminary step into investigating sex abuse by Catholic priests there.
