NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque Journal
By Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Editor
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017
BELEN — The Rev. Jonas Romea has been terminated from his position as associate pastor at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church apparently in connection with inappropriate conduct with an 18-year-old, female high school student, according to diocese officials and local police.
“Effective Tuesday, April 25, 2017, Reverend Jonas Romea no longer has priestly faculties with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and thus cannot administer the sacraments within the archdiocese, including the celebration of Mass,” wrote Celine Baca Radigan, director of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Communications/Media when contacted by the News-Bulletin. “Reverend Jonas Romea is (a) … priest of the Diocese of Tagbilaran (in the Philippines) and serves under the jurisdiction of the bishop thereof.”
The diocese confirmed an investigation to police but declined to disclose why he had been relieved of his duties in Belen except to say, “His residence is no longer the Our Lady of Belen rectory. We pray for Rev. Romea and wish him well.”
Belen police, acting on a tip about the Romea’s behavior and termination, began an investigation and contacted the diocese. The department released an informational report on the probe Wednesday.
A Belen detective spoke with the Rev. John Daniel of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on Monday who said that “in an investigation conducted by the church … Father Romea had stated that after services he had talked to a juvenile female and had kissed her forehead and then he told her that he liked her pictures on Facebook. The juvenile, not yet listed, was reported as saying that Father Romea had kissed her on the cheek and then told her that he had seen her pictures on Facebook and that he wanted to see more pictures of her in shorts,” according to the report.
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