Three more priests have been permanently removed from ministry by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Sunday, April 7, 2013, according to a report from the Associated Press. One of these three priests removed includes one whose accuser killed himself after his allegation was dismissed by church officials years ago.
The Revs. Mark Gaspar and Joseph Gallagher were suspended following a horrific 2011 grand jury report that led to the landmark conviction of a high-ran king archdiocese official on charges of child endangerment. Two other priests and a Catholic school teacher were also convicted.
A grand jury report from Feb. 2011 distinctly named Gallagher as a priest that remained in ministry despite apparently credible allegations of abuse. The grand jury ended up saying that the archdiocese had found the allegation against him to be unsubstantiated despite the accuser's "obvious credibility."
Marci Hamilton, attorney for the family of Daniel Neill said on Sunday, "Our only problem is that it took so long."
Neill committed suicide in 2009, less than a year after church officials told him his allegations couldn't be substantiated. Hamilton also represents two others who claim that Gallagher abused them.
Archbishop Charles Chaput said in a statement that he made the decision he felt were "right and just" after the allegations against Gallagher and Gaspar were investigated and reviewed by a board of the archdiocese.
“The counsel provided by these experts, who have devoted their careers to combating sexual abuse, is key to this work,” he said. “I’m grateful for their efforts.”
Monsignor Richard Powers, a third priest, was not one of the priests suspended following the grand jury investigation.
The archdiocese said he was suspended in 2012 after his name came up on a list of priests previously accused of sexual abuse. All of the other priests on the list had died, been removed from the ministry, or were “living a life of prayer and penance” with the exception of Powers, the archdiocese said.
The allegation against Powers is about an incident that happened close to 40 years ago outside of the archdiocese.
Powers is 77-years-old and would not discuss his removal from ministry or the allegations. The 43-year-old Gallagher did not return a phone call to the Associated Press. The 78-year-old Gallagher has no listed phone number.
All three men can appeal to the Vatican.
It isn't easy to see "3 priests removed" start trending worldwide at any time.
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