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SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco district attorney has sent a letter to the head of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco asking for any information on sexual abuse by clergy members or church employees in the past 75 years. 

District Attorney Terence Hallinan sent the letter earlier this week, and while he would not discuss specifics, he told KTVU-TV that “it certainly was not a Christmas card.” 

Archbishop William Levada released a written statement saying Hallinan had requested “information concerning reports of suspected or known sexual abuse” by church employees over the last 75 years. 

“Archbishop William Levada responded promptly with a hand-delivered letter to Mr. Hallinan indicating that the Archdiocese will voluntarily cooperate with the ... request,” the statement read. 

In Cincinnati, the prosecutor has done something similar — first sending a letter, then a subpoena asking for information pertaining to allegations of possible sex crimes. The church there has turned over the material. 

But that step likely will not be taken in Santa Clara County, where the district attorney’s office told KTVU that if it did that with the Catholic Church, it would have to do so with all religions. Alameda County has no plans to send a letter either, saying the reporting system is working there.