PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Monday said it had suspended a former Northeast Philadelphia pastor to investigate new claims of misconduct involving minors, three months after church officials publicly cleared the priest of a similar allegation.
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput declared the priest, the Rev. Michael Chapman, suitable in May to return to active ministry. Chapman, 56, was preparing to resume his priestly duties when the archdiocese received a new accusation that Chapman had abused a minor approximately 30 years ago, the archdiocese announced.
Church officials immediately turned over the accusation to law enforcement and halted Chapman’s return, according to Donna Farrell, a spokeswoman for the archbishop.
“Father Chapman had never actually returned to active public ministry, did not have access to children and was not residing in a parish at any time since the May 4th announcement,” Farrell said.
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