Restricted Priest Mistakenly Celebrated Mass, Chicago Archdiocese Says

By Manya A. Brachear
Chicago Tribune
January 22, 2012

www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pastor-removed-20120123,0,1822456.story

President Barbara Blaine speaks during a SNAP press conference outside the Archbishop Quigley Center in Chicago, Wednesday, August 31, 2011. SNAP recently learned that Fr. George W. Klein of St. Philip the Apostle parish, was accused of sexually abusing a girl when he was a principal at St. Benedict High School Photo by Alex Garcia

A retired priest has been reminded that he is restricted from public ministry at a Northfield parish until the Archdiocese of Chicago can substantiate an allegation of sexual misconduct dating to the 1970s.

The Rev. George Klein, the retired priest in residence at St. Philip the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, has been restricted since the summer, pending the investigation of a complaint that he acted inappropriately with a young woman more than 40 years ago when he was principal of St. Benedict High School on Chicago's North Side.

Klein, 78, now lives in the rectory of St. Philip the Apostle. The archdiocese said the priest mistakenly thought his restrictions had ended and celebrated Mass on Jan. 1, but he has been corrected.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests protested the priest's brief return to ministry on Sunday outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

Contact: mbrachear@tribune.com