PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
Inquirer Staff Writer
In March 2008, Cardinal Justin F. Rigali handed Bishop Michael J. Bransfield welcome news.
After a four-month inquiry, Rigali, then head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, declared unfounded a claim that Bransfield had molested a Lansdale Catholic High School student in the 1970s.
The outcome wasn’t unusual – other priests had been cleared of decades-old allegations – but the process was.
In a break from practice, the accusation against Bransfield bypassed the archdiocese’s civilian review board, according to a source briefed on the case but not authorized to publicly discuss it. The board was formed to conduct independent examinations of abuse claims and assesses priests’ suitablility for ministry.
Instead, Rigali acted after reviewing the reports of an investigator who interviewed Bransfield, his accuser and others.
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