CHILE
New York Daily News
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
BY CAROL KURUVILLA
The Chilean Catholic church is punishing an alleged baby-stealing priest by sending him to Spain for a period of “reflection.”
The church confirmed Tuesday that Father Gerardo Joannon “actively participated” in the forced adoptions of at least two babies, who were snatched from their unwed single mothers more than thirty years ago and handed off to married couples who raised them in traditional Catholic families. Joannon was also allegedly engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with one mother.
But since so much time has passed, church officials have chosen to send Joannon to Madrid in October “to initiate a process of psychological and spiritual accompaniment,” the Catholic News Service reports. Joannon will not have any pastoral responsibilities during his time in Spain.
Officials from Chile’s child protection agency have urged the Chilean church to keep the priest inside the country to “clarify the truth in this case.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.