NEW JERSEY
New Jersey 101.5
By Ray Rossi March 18, 2014
Yesterday it was announced that Fr. Michael Fugee, who, at one time, had been elevated by Newark Archbishop John Myers to the position of co-director of the Office of Continuing Education and Ongoing Formation of Priests – despite having been tried in a child molestation case – had finally been removed as a priest.
It took long enough for that to happen – this after he flouted an agreement he’d made with prosecutors not to have any contact with children.
Now comes word that the Newark Archdiocese will now allow priests who’d been removed from churches following credible sexual abuse charges may be buried in their priestly vestments.
It may seem a small thing.
After all, they’re dead and their corpses are rotting in a box. What should it matter what they’re wearing?
However, it’s all in the symbolism.
They’re still being buried as priests, and that has some of us questioning the wisdom of the Archbishop who made that decision.
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.