A Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse

A few years ago, allegations of sexual abuse were made against seven priests in the Archdiocese of Miami. One of the priests went into retirement. He has been brought out of retirement by the new archbishop and made the administrator of a church in Pompano Beach. Apparently, this was because he was a friend of the Archbishop.

I have no idea whether the man is guilty or innocent. Maybe it was a one-time affair with someone who was seventeen. Or maybe it was numerous times with a fourteen-year-old boy.  Nobody knows and that is the point. If the allegations had been investigated and the priest had been cleared, that would be one thing. Apparently, there was no investigation--or if it was, this has not been made public--and the priest has been reinstated. Innocent people are wrongly accused all the time. Every few months we read about people who have spent decades in prison only to be found innocent. I hope this priest is innocent but the archdiocese has handled this in a way that has left doubt in the minds of many people.

However, I am so proud of the Catholics in that church. They have left the church in droves, taking their money with them. They refuse to take communion from him. The church is dying.

The assignment of the priest to this parish shows a total lack of regard for the Catholics in the church. They are entitled to a priest who does not have sexual liaisons with minors. No one expects priests to be perfect but Catholics do expect their priests not to be pedophiles. Gone are the days when an archbishop can appoint a priest and have the parishioners accept it without question.