The pastor of St. Eugene Catholic Church resigned Tuesday following charges he deleted hundreds of child pornographic images from the home computer of his music minister to foil a police investigation.The resignation of the Rev. John Schneider from the north Asheville church he headed since 2005 followed his first appearance in Buncombe County District Court on a charge of felony obstruction of justice.
The Most Rev. Peter J. Jugis, the bishop overseeing the Diocese of Charlotte, traveled to Asheville Tuesday to meet with Schneider.
He later issued a statement on his acceptance of the priest's resignation.
“For the good of the St. Eugene Parish community, Father John Schneider has resigned as pastor of the parish,” Jugis said. “In the near future a priest will be named to lead St. Eugene Parish.”
St. Eugene has about 1,000 families as members.
“The sacramental life of the parish will not be interrupted,” Jugis said. “Weekend masses will be celebrated at the usual times. Father Schneider has asked for prayers for all members of the St. Eugene Parish family and for himself.”
Schneider, 56, told Judge Calvin Hill during the court appearance that he understood his rights under the law. He said he is hiring Asheville attorney David Belser to represent him.
Schneider declined to comment as he was leaving the courthouse. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond.
A warrant states that Schneider entered the North Ridge Drive apartment of former music minister Paul Lawrence Berrell on May 18 and deleted hundreds of pornographic images of children “in secret and with malice” during a criminal investigation of Berrell.
That's the same day police charged Berrell, 29, with taking indecent liberties with a minor. The arrest followed a complaint from a parent, according to a police report.
Berrell also was charged May 23 with nine counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor after police searched his residence. Then on June 1 a grand jury indicted the suspect on two counts of indecent liberties and one count of statutory sex offense.The acts involved a 13-year-old girl and took place on Aug. 15 and April 21, according to the indictments. Berrell remains jailed under a $1.5 million bond, police said.
Schneider's arrest is further evidence of the Catholic church's history of seeking to cover up clergy sex abuse of children, said Barbara Dorris, outreach director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
“We are grateful that the police have caught and charged this priest with obstructing justice,” she said.
“Father Schneider's arrest shows that little has changed in the Catholic Church and that the church hierarchy still opts for secrecy over openness.
David Hains, a spokesman for the Diocese of Charlotte, which governs Catholic Churches in Western North Carolina, disputed the group's accusations.
“My presence here (Hains accompanied Schneider to court) and our diocese policies, which are on our Web site, shows that we operate in an honest and open manner,” Hains said. “There is no evidence that I'm aware of of the Diocese of Charlotte ever covering up abuse.”
The judge set Schneider's next court appearance for June 19.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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