The Archdiocese of Philadelphia removed three parish priests from its public ministry following an investigation into sexual abuse allegations, ActionNews-ABC.com reported. The reverends Joseph Gallagher and Mark Gaspar were suspended following a 2011 grand jury report, leading to the landmark conviction of a high-ranking archdiocese official on child endangerment charges.
Two other priests and a Catholic school teacher were also convicted.
The February 2011 grand jury report prominently named Gallagher as a priest who remained in the ministry despire apparently credible allegations of abuse. The grand jury concluded that the archdiocese had found the allegation against hi unsubstantiated despite the accuser's "obvous credibility," news reports said.
"Our only problem is that it took so long," attorney Marci Hamilton said. Hamilton, who also represents two others who claim to have been abused by Gallagher, said the archdiocese's failure to act means Gallagher will never face criminal charges.
"Gallagher belongs in prison, but because of the Archdiocese's cover up, the criminal statutes of limitations for these victims expired long ago," she said.
This decision comes days after Pope Francis called for 'decisive action' in the fight against sex abuse of minors by priests, telling Bishop Gerhard Mueller, the head of Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith that perpetrators will -and must be- punished. In a statement, Archbishop Charles Chaput said he made the decisions he felt were "right and just" after the allegations against Gaspar and Gallagher were investigated and reviewed by an archdiocese board.
A third priest, Monsignor Richard Powers was not among the priests suspended following the grand jury investigation. The archdiocese said he was suspended last year after his name surfaced on a list of priests previously accused of sexual abuse. All the other priests on that list had either died, been removed from ministry or were "living a life of prayer and penance" with the exception of Powers, the archdiocese said.
All three men can appeal their cases to the Vatican.
The grand jury report led to charges against Monsignor William Lynn and three others. Lynn, the longtime secretary of clergy for the archdiocese, is serving three to six years in prison for his role transferring an admitted pedophile priest to the accuser's northeast Philadelphia parish. One of the priests pleaded guilty while the other priest and the teacher were convicted at trial.
Twenty-six priests were placed on leave following the grand jury's report. Ten of those cases have now been found to involve substantiated allegations of abuse. One priest was arrested and another died before a full investigation could be completed.
Seven cases are still pending, the archdiocese said.
