PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WXXI
[Resolutions to Some of the Cases of Priests on Administrative Leave – via BishopAccountability.org]
(Reuters) –
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput stripped five priests of their duties and apologized to their victims on Friday following an investigation into a pedophilia scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic archdiocese.
The sanctions come as the archdiocese nears the end of its investigation into 27 priests who were put on leave when a January 2011 grand jury report raised questions about their possible involvement in abusing children.
Chaput said five of the cases were substantiated in the investigation, and those priests would be barred from public ministry, meaning they can no longer perform duties such as saying Mass. They can appeal to Rome, and later could be defrocked.
Another three priests under investigation were cleared. One priest named in the grand jury report has since died.
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