MINNESOTA
Star Tribune
Article by: ABBY SIMONS , Star Tribune Updated: October 31, 2013
A Roman Catholic priest’s sexual relationship with an adult parishioner he is advising on spiritual matters is condemned by the church.
But is it a crime?
For the second time in six years, the Minnesota Supreme Court will address that question when it rules on the constitutionality of a state law that deems it a felony for clergy members to “engage in sexual conduct” with those seeking “religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort in private.”
The ruling, expected soon in the case of a convicted St. Paul priest, could influence whether a Maplewood priest under scrutiny will be charged with a crime for allegedly having an affair this year with a married parishioner.
The priest in the most recent case denies the accusation, which is outlined in a search warrant issued earlier this month. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, already on the defensive over allegations that it mishandled multiple cases of alleged clergy sex abuse and priest misconduct, announced last month that it has opened its own investigation. The priest, who denies the allegations, has taken a voluntary leave of absence from the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary “until the matter is resolved,” the archdiocese statement said.
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