My Fox Philly
April 15, 2011
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/archdiocese-explains-latest-measures041511
Click Here To See The List Of 21 Priests Suspended In March
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The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has issued a bulletin to parishioners explaining how it intends to deal with priests accused of misconduct. It also will keep paying legal fees for a Monsignor charged with felony endangerment.
The bulletin is posted on its Web site at www.archphila.org .
Click Here To See The List Of 21 Priests Suspended In March
In a statement, the church said the bulletins will provide "information about priests on administrative leave, those indicted by the Grand Jury, and the Delegate for Investigations."
The bulletin said the church won't pay legal fees for priest accused of abuse, but some of the priests are under investigation for other issues.
"The complaints in these cases range from potential boundary issues as outlined in the Archdiocesan Standards of Ministerial Behavior to allegations of sexual abuse. As such, it would be unfair to paint all priests currently on administrative leave with the same broad brush," the bulletin says.
The Archdiocese also explained why it continues to pay the legal fees of Monsignor William Lynn, the former aide to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
The statement says the "charges against [Lynn] relate to the position he held. Those legal fees are being paid from unrestricted funds in reserve for use at the discretion of the Archbishop. These funds come to the Archdiocese through unrestricted bequests or the sale of Archdiocesan property and not from parish collections, the Catholic Charities Appeal, nor from the Heritage of Faith—Vision of Hope Capital Campaign."
The Archdiocese said that while on administrative leave, priests can't live in a parish or participate in any parish or school activities and they may not exercise their priestly ministry publicly.
But suspended priests may wear clerical attire.
The church hoped to have its administrative review will done within 6 to 9 months
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has placed 23 priests on leave following a scathing grand jury report that accused church officials of protecting predator priests.
In February a grand jury blasted the diocese in a report that charged two priests, a former priest and a Catholic school teacher.Two priests, a former priest and a Catholic school teacher have been charged with sexually assaulting young boys in Philadelphia, while a former church official has been charged with child endangerment.
The charges cameafter a grand jury reviewed accusations referred by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The charges involve sex acts that allegedly occurred from 1996 to 2000.
Monsignor Lynn, the former secretary of clergy under Cardinal Bevilacqua, is charged with felony endangerment. Prosecutors say Lynn transferred abusive priests to new parishes with schools and youth groups without warning parish officials.
Two priests -- 64-year-old Charles Engelhardt and 47-year-old James Brennan -- along with 68-year-old former priest Edward Avery and 48-year-old teacher Bernard Shero are charged with rape and related crimes.
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