Joliet Bishop J. Peter Sartain has removed a local pastor from his parish duties following revelations that the priest had engaged in a homosexual relationship with another man. Bishop Sartain removed Fr Jerry Simonelli from his duties as pastor ministering to the 9,000 Catholics of St. Isidore's, the second largest parish in the Diocese of Joliet, after a diocesan investigation revealed that Simonelli had broken his vows of celibacy, Lifesite News reports.
The priest had been under dual investigations by the DuPage County State's Attorney and the Joliet Diocese after a 21-year-old man accused the Catholic priest of engaging in sexual misconduct with him.
The Daily Herald reported that the DuPage State's Attorney will not press criminal charges because its findings proved inconclusive.
Bishop Sartain's executive assistant Doug Delaney spoke with LifeSiteNews.com, and said that Simonelli was being removed from all duties as a priest.
"It wasn't anything to do with kids or anything like that. It was a consenting adult relationship," said Delaney.
"But he broke his vows, he was unfaithful to his vows on more than one occasion."
SIC: CTHUSA