Accused Priest Left in Ministry until Day of Archbishops’ Release, SNAP Responds

By Michael D. Norris, Zach Hiner
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
February 01, 2019

https://bit.ly/2WExtCv

Despite pledging to remove priests from ministry following accusations of abuse, a priest from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was left in position up to the day the Texas bishops released lists of accused priests throughout the state.

Fr. John Keller was allowed to say mass the very morning that his name was released as a "credibly accused" cleric. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the leader of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, had been informed of accusations against Fr. Keller back in November. Moreover, a second victim came forward just last month.

It takes only seconds for an abuser to hurt a child or a vulnerable adult which is why the 2002 promise from Church officials to remove those accused of abuse was so critical to the prevention of future cases. But if the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops can openly flaunt the provisions of the Dallas Charter, what hope do survivors have?

The answer is a lot of hope. The actions of secular officials in the justice system across the country have generated renewed optimism for justice and accountability. We hope that AG Ken Paxton listens to the news - and the hopes of the hundreds of survivors that have reached out to his office - and begins an independent investigation into Cardinal DiNardo’s handling of abuse cases immediately.