ROCHESTER (NY)
WROC
3/14/2005 6:00 PM
Did the Rochester Catholic Diocese drop the ball in the case of a local priest charged with possessing child pornography? That's the question after troubling new details surfaced on the history of Father Michael Volino.
The priest is facing federal charges after the discovery of child pornography on his computer in January, but on Monday we learned that there were concerns about his behavior years before that.
Deemed a "potential danger to the community" by Federal Judge Jonathan Feldman, Father Volino has been ordered to confinement at an Elmira monastery. The decision was based, in part, on new evidence included in an old report. It was issued in 2002 from the Saint Luke Institute, a Maryland treatment facility for troubled clergy.
The Diocese says it asked Rev. Volino to undergo assessment at St. Luke's Institute, but says the referral and assessment were related to "behavioral issues and not to sexual abuse."
Posted by kshaw at March 14, 2005 05:45 PM