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	Bishop Criticized by Parish for Removing Priest Associated Press, carried in Kokomo Tribune July 2, 2002 CELESTINE (AP) — The bishop of the Evansville Roman Catholic diocese was chastised at a parish meeting for removing a priest who has admitted to sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old boy. Two months ago, Bishop Gerald Gettelflnger received a standing ovation after he told parishioners at St Peter Celestine Catholic Church that the Rev. Michael Allen would remain the parish priest despite admitting to abusing the teen-ager in 1976, Gettelflnger told parishioners on Sunday that he had no choice but to remove Allen .because of a zero-tolerance policy passed last month at the US. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Dallas: "Brothers and sisters, I don't want to be here tonight, not because of you, but because J can't undo what's been done," Gettelfinger said. Some parishioners at the meeting accused Gettelfinger of betraying Allen by voting in favor of the policy. Gettelfinger, though, said he voted for the plan because he felt it was necessary to have .some kind of new policy - even one that some view as flawed, Under the current restrictions, Allen may not present himself publicly as a priest, celebrate rnass in public or wear clerical garb. He also is no longer an employee of the Evansville diocese and must leave his residence on the grounds of St Peter Celestine by Wednesday.
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