US bishops renew vow to oust predator priests

U.S. Catholic bishops are renewing their vow to oust predator priests, weeks after a grand jury accused the Philadelphia archdiocese of keeping 37 problem priests on the job.

The AP reports that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says reforms adopted by the U.S. bishops in 2002 must not be “derailed.”

The statement Thursday does not name the Archdiocese of Philadelphia specifically.

But the statement from Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York refers to “recent disclosures about the church’s response” to priest-abuse complaints.

Dolan, the group’s president, says fellow bishops asked him to reassure Roman Catholics that protecting children remains their top priority.