Priest Convicted of Theft Also a Credible Child Abuser According to Diocese of Greensburg

SNAP Network
August 27, 2020

https://www.snapnetwork.org/priest_convicted_theft_credible_child_abuser_aug20

A priest from the Diocese of Greensburg who was previously convicted of theft is also a “credibly accused” child abuser, according to church officials. We call on Bishop Edward Malesic to personally visit each parish where this priest worked, urging others who may have been hurt by him to come forward to local law enforcement.

Church officials were first informed of sex abuse allegations against Fr. Emil Payer in 2018 yet for some reason waited for two years to make those allegations public. We cannot understand why the Diocese of Greensburg waited so long to disclose these allegations but cannot help but notice that Bishop Malesic waited until he had one foot out the door to warn the public about Fr. Payer. We hope that parishioners at Greensburg churches will demand answers from their pastors and bishop about this obvious lack of transparency.

Now that Fr. Payer has been added to the list, Bishop Malesic must personally visit each parish where he worked and urge anyone with information or suspicions about him to come forward to law enforcement. This situation is yet more proof that church officials will delay and deny for as long as possible when it comes to allegations of sexual abuse and is a clear reminder that victims and witnesses must go to secular law enforcement if they want anything substantive done.

CONTACT: Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Regional Leader, (636-433-2511, snapjudy@gmail.com), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, zhiner@snapnetwork.org)