MAINE
Foster’s
PORTLAND, Maine — The Vatican has dismissed from the clergy a priest, who had served in South Berwick, among other Maine communities, because of substantiated child sexual abuse finding against him.
A final decision has been returned from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican regarding Antonin R. Caron, ordained a priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, who has been retired since 1994, according to a press release issued Friday by the diocese. Caron had at one time served at St. Michael Parish in South Berwick.
The Holy See has dismissed Caron from the clerical state for a substantiated claim of sexual abuse of a minor. The complaint was received from an individual in November of 2012 who reported that the sexual abuse occurred in the early 1980s.
After receiving the complaint, the Diocesan Office of Professional Responsibility conducted a full investigation and, as with every report of possible sexual abuse of a minor by a church representative, immediately notified public authorities, the press release said. Upon completion of the investigation, the case was referred to the Diocesan Review Board, an independent review entity comprised mostly of lay people, which confirmed the findings of the Office of Professional Responsibility that the claim of abuse was substantiated.
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