PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By David O'Reilly, Nancy Phillips and Jim Remsen
Inquirer Staff Writers
In one of the most sweeping moves of the clergy sex scandal, the Vatican has defrocked seven more Philadelphia priests for abusing minors, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced yesterday.
The dismissals of the Revs. James J. Brzyski, Nicholas V. Cudemo, Thomas J. Durkin, Michael W. Swierzy, Richard G. Jones, Thomas M. Kohler and Francis X. Trauger were announced in a spare notice on Page 8 of the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Standard and Times.
The scope of the announcement was evident in the priests' biographies: Over the last four decades, they had served in some 35 parishes and five Catholic high schools across the Philadelphia region.
While the published notice began with the words, "in the spirit of transparency," archdiocesan officials provided no details of the abuse. The announcement did not use the word sexual in describing the accusations, saying only that the priests were defrocked for "misconduct involving minors."
The timing of the announcement also went unexplained. Church experts who have followed the scandal said that the Vatican is working its way through a backlog of decisions on as many as several hundred accused American priests, and that Pope John Paul II's death may have slowed the process.
All seven Philadelphia Archdiocese priests in yesterday's announcement had been removed from their ministerial duties here years ago. The Vatican's decision to laicize, or permanently remove them, means they are barred from ever serving as priests in any capacity and from administering sacraments.