Vatican: Lebanese Priest Convicted of Pedophilia
inSerbia
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), a Vatican body that investigates allegations of pedophilia committed by members of the Church, sentenced Labaki to “a life of prayer,” and barred him from attending public mass, speaking to the media, or contacting the children he allegedly molested, La Croix said. Labaki, a Maronite cleric, author and composer, had built a reputation in Lebanon as a caregiver to orphans and needy children through the various charities and orphanages to his name. A profile written on Labaki in a US-based Catholic periodical last year quotes him as saying that he treats the orphans under his care as if they were his own children. The priest added that his newest shelter Kfar Sama, located in an eastern suburb of Beirut, was built “not only for orphans, but [for] those who are looking for tenderness.” La Croix said the CDF launched an investigation into Labaki in 2011 after “several people” in France reported sexual crimes he committed. The body found him guilty in a decree issued April 23, 2012 of pedophilia. Labaki filed an appeal, but the Vatican upheld the verdict in a final decision issued on June 19 of this year, the magazine said.
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