The Holy See has removed from the priesthood former Vermont priest, Edward O. Paquette, following a series of allegations of abuse. Edward O. Paquette, 81, who served in the dioceses of Burlington, Vt., Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., and Fall River, has been removed from the clerical state, according to Mark E. Dupont, a spokesman for the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts Live reports.
Dupont said the diocese was making the decision known because Paquette lives in Westfield.
The action means that Paquette can never serve as a priest again, according to Dupont, who said the priest was never assigned to the Springfield diocese and has not served as a priest for several decades.
"This means there is no chance he can serve as a priest again, in any manner; there's no chance, no chance of appeal," Dupont said.
In December 2008, a former altar boy was awarded $3.6 million because the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vt., failed to protect the altar boy from an abusive priest identified as Paquette in the 1970s.
The lawsuit, filed by a 43-year-old Maryland man, did not name Paquette as a defendant. Earlier last year, a separate jury awarded a different plaintiff $8.7 million for abuse allegedly inflicted by Paquette.
Paquette, now in his 80s, has been accused of molesting boys during the 1960s and 1970s, Fox 44 reports.
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Why are all the Irish clergy who are known abusers not defrocked long ago?
ReplyDeleteIs it because they are "in Holy Ireland". Does that make the difference? Or is it that the powers that be here don't have the backbone to have the lot of them defrocked because in doing so they should take the SAME MEDICINE because they condoned it for half a century.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander!!!
Can anyone explain this? If this man in the article above is 80 it is unlikely he will be doing that much Church work in the future because of age but I am sure there are many far younger clergy in Ireland and it should be made certain that they are defrocked AND NAMED for their evil deeds and ruining of so many lives.
Again those in power are too WEAK to do the right thing by the victims.
God forgive the lot of them. They are as guilty for ruining the Church as the abusers.
Mark Dupont says Paquette never served as a priest in the Springfield area, and that the Diocese is publicizing this news (apparently as a public service) because Paquette lives in the area. These statements need clarification.
ReplyDeleteNumber one, the news media has this story in it's teeth and Dupont is merely trying to do some damage control. The story is important and would be reported widely in the area with or without the blessing of the Diocese and he well knows this. It would be more to the point if the Diocese would maintain a list of credibly accused priests on their web site, as other Dioceses have done, and as they have been repeatedly requested to do by victims and victims groups.
Number two, Paquette was indeed assigned to the area.
In the early 60's, the Rev. Timothy F. O'Connor of Westfield, who was an adviser to Paquette after his dismissal from the Fall River Diocese (MA), consulted Bishop Christopher J. Weldon of the Springfield Diocese, and Paquette was assigned to Masses at a "sisters institution" in the Springfield Diocese, according to a 1963 letter. The letter was filed in court in connection with two Vermont suits, both of which were settled in 2008. The letter states that O'Connor recommended that Paquette be incardinated, or permanently assigned a job.
I recommend that Catholics become fully informed about the links between the former Fr. Paquette and the Diocese of Springfield.
One excellent article is called "Past Still Haunts Accused Priest" and was written by Bill Zajac for the Springfield Republican issue of Feb. 27, 2005. Another good account is "Sins of Omission" by Kevin O'Connor, and appeared in the May 18, 2008 issue of the Times Argue (Montpelier).
Thank God for journalists.
for more about the Springfield situation, see my blog:
http://westernmassachusettscatholics.blogspot.com/
Sincerely,
Bob Kelly