February 21, 2005

At U. of C., students back priest who had an affair

CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Tribune

By John Keilman
Tribune staff reporter
Published February 21, 2005

A group of Catholic students at the University of Chicago lent public support Sunday to a priest who left the school after revelations surfaced of a sexual relationship in his past.

The Catholic Student Association issued a letter calling Rev. Michael Yakaitis "a great leader, priest, and man" and urging others to distinguish between the priest's affair with an 18-year-old seminarian and the sex-abuse scandals that have consumed the church in recent years.

"It is important to realize that this does not fit into the same category as other cases such as the abuse of minors, and we implore the reader to realize the profound differences here," the group wrote.

The group is not calling for Yakaitis' reinstatement as chaplain of Calvert House, a Catholic student center in Hyde Park.

Posted by kshaw at February 21, 2005 06:19 AM