WASHINGTON
National Catholic Reporter
Dan Morris-Young | Nov. 19, 2014
An overflow funeral Mass with some 20 celebrants and choir at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle followed by a catered reception for a former priest who admitted to sexually abusing boys has left some parishioners confused and angry and Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain talking about revisiting archdiocesan protocols for funerals of priests removed from ministry for child sex abuse.
Those supportive of the liturgy and previous evening’s vigil for admitted abuser David Jaeger, 70, emphasized church teaching on mercy and forgiveness, honoring a friend, hope in the Resurrection, and paying respect for Jaeger’s pastoral work, notably his ministry to the gay and lesbian community and people with AIDS.
The vigil and Mass were held July 28-29 at St. Joseph after family and planners received permission from its pastor, Jesuit Fr. John Whitney. Whitney said they had told him that Seattle’s other Jesuit-staffed parish where Jaeger attended, St. Ignatius, would be too small to accommodate the number of people expected. (St. Joseph seats about 700.)
The Vatican accepted Jaeger’s petition to be laicized in 2005 after it had been revealed he admitted to sexually exploiting up to 10 boys. Jaeger died July 22 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, according to an obituary in The Seattle Times.
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