NEW YORK
Staten Island Advance
By Maura Grunlund | grunlund@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Archdiocese of New York has not taken steps to permanently remove the Rev. Keith Fennessy from the priesthood, despite its allegations that the former Staten Island pastor was caught with child pornography that violates the church’s own safeguards to protect children.
The archdiocese defended the handling of its case against Father Fennessy, an ordained priest since 1984 who headed St. Margaret Mary R.C. Church in Midland Beach from 2006 to June 2010.
Catholic New York said that the pornography was found on Father Fennessy’s computer.
He served as pastor of St. Columba’s parish in Manhattan from 2011 until June 15, 2015, when he was removed from ministry after the pornographic material was discovered, according to Catholic New York.
Joseph Zwilling, communications director for the archdiocese, confirmed that “the images were of minors.”
Zwilling stressed in a statement supplied to the Advance that Father Fennessy “will never again be permitted to function as a priest.”
However, the archdiocese has not yet decided whether it will ask the Vatican to defrock Father Fennessy.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.