Swiss Catholic church orders study of past sexual abuse

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland have called on two academics to lead a study of the Swiss church’s history of sexual exploitation since the mid-20th century. That move means the Swiss Catholic church is joining other churches in other countries in Europe and beyond to undergo such a reckoning. The Swiss Conference of Bishops and two other organizations announced a plan Monday to bring in two University of Zurich history professors to assemble a team in coming weeks before a formal launch in March. The groups have pledged to give access to their archives to the researchers.