Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput on Monday asked for prayers for the priest he removed from the ministry Thursday and healing for the man who reported that he had been sexually abused by the Rev. Melvin Thompson more than 35 years ago in an undisclosed Colorado parish. Chaput, in a column that will appear today in the Denver Catholic Register, said he understands the frustration parishioners at St. Thomas More Catholic Church have expressed at losing a "respected and well-loved" priest about whom no previous allegations had been made.
Catholics have complained, Chaput said, of the "unfairness" of the action to relieve Thompson, 74, of his priestly duties one day after a single unsubstantiated accusation that he denies.
Chaput said it was a painful but necessary action. The archdiocese reported the accusation to civil authorities April 8, according to spokeswoman Jeanette DeMelo. None of the police or sheriff's departments in the Colorado cities and counties Thompson has worked in had seen a complaint as of Monday afternoon.
"In removing Father Thompson, or any member of the clergy from the ministry in a situation like this, we act purely to ensure the safety of children, families and the integrity of the church community," Chaput wrote.
Archdiocese officials deny the church response was uncharacteristically quick, as some advocates for sexual-abuse victims have described it.
Florida lawyer Adam Horowitz, who has litigated many of the more than 40 cases against the archdiocese, said Thompson's speedy removal signaled a marked change from the church's past track record.
However, Denver archdiocese officials said Monday that the zero-tolerance policy has been in place and followed since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued guidelines in 2002.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to the CW Team or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that the CW Team agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
CW Team
SIC: DCP