PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has reinstated a 72-year-old priest suspended last year after a Philadelphia grand jury report questioned how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia investigated allegations that he molested a teenage girl four decades ago.
After what the archbishop called a “rigorous investigative process” involving 20 child sex abuse experts, Chaput concluded that the priest, the Rev. Joseph DiGregorio, may once have violated behavioral standards for a priest but is not a danger to the community.
“Based on the facts of Father DiGregorio’s case, a thorough external investigation, the fact that no other complaints were reported in an atmosphere where the public was largely aware of the situation, and that thorough clinical evaluations from competent outside authorities indicate he poses no danger to minors, I found him suitable for ministry,” Chaput said in a statement.
The statement did not explain how he violated behavioral standards. Church officials in the past said violations can include such conduct as inappropriate language or what they call “boundary violations” between adults and minors.
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