PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Jeremy Roebuck
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, reporting on the fates of some of the 27 priests suspended after last year’s grand jury report into clergy sex abuse, said Friday three priests will return to the ministry but five others will not.
Chaput said one of the 27 had died before the investigation had been completed and no determination was made as to his suitability for ministry. Six cases are still being reviewed by law enforcement officials, he said.
“Our actions, including these outcomes and the steps we have taken to improve our policies and procedures, show that we have learned from the past,” he said. “No lesson from the sexual abuse scandal is more important than the understanding that the people who suffer most are the victims.”
Removed from Ministry are Rev. George CadwRallader, Msgr. Francis Feret, Rev. Robert Povish, Rev. John Reardon, and Rev. Thomas Rooney. All five can appeal their decisions.
Allegations against Rev. Philip Barr, Rev. Michael Chapman, and Msgr. Michael Flood were found to be unsubstantiated. All three are cleared to return to their parishes, Chaput said.
Chaput’s announcement Friday marks the first substantial public response to one of the most controversial decisions of his predecessor.
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