3 Philadelphia Priests Defrocked

AP ^ | April 7, 2006

[NYer]

Three more priests accused of sexually abusing children have been defrocked, bringing to 17 the number of priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese who have been defrocked since the clergy abuse scandal broke four years ago.

The Vatican defrocked Edward V. Avery, Stanley M. Gana and James E. McGuire over credible allegations of abuse, the archdiocese announced in a notice Thursday inside its weekly newspaper, the Catholic Standard & Times.

None of the 17 priests faces criminal charges because of Pennsylvania's statute of limitations for prosecuting sex crimes. Avery, Gana and McGuire were named in a grand jury report released in September that identified 63 archdiocesan priests as abusers.

"This does nothing to address the broader issue that they broke the law and they escaped prosecution because the statute of limitations is so short," said John Salveson, a leader of the national advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and Other Clergy.

Avery, Gana and McGuire were stripped of their ministries in 2002 and 2003. They could not be located for comment.

According to the grand jury report, McGuire was found to have molested at least three boys, starting from when he was a seminarian in 1966. Avery allegedly abused a 12-year-old boy in the late 1970s. Gana, at one time a chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America, allegedly had so many victims that the grand jury could characterize the number only as "countless."

An archdiocese spokeswoman declined to comment.

[NYer]

I've lost count. It seems that since the election of Joseph Ratzinger as pontiff, the Vatican has been working overtime on this issue. Between cleaning up this mess and visiting the seminaries, this should be most encouraging to new candidates to the priesthood.

[baltodog]

Priests don't molest children.

Pedophiles do.

[Bahbah]

I am very encouraged by the work that the Pope is doing.

[Robertsll]

Priests don't molest children.

Pedophiles do.

In most of the cases they were gays homosexuals, not pedophiles.

[baltodog]

Same thing, then:

Homosexuals don't molest kids, pedophiles do.

The only statement I am trying to make is that being gay, straight, Catholic, Southern Baptist, black, white, etc, does not mean you are going to molest children.

Pedophiles molest kids, no one else.

[Robertsll]

Pedophiles molest pre-pubescent children.

Very few of the victims were pre-pubescent children. The vast, vast majority of the victims were minors. Thus the offenders were homosexual.

[livius]

Sorry, you're wrong. Most of these guys were ephebophiles - that is, those interested in young men (adolescents). In other words, gay men.

This has been covered up by the pro-gay press. The priests involved were not in general out there molesting 6 year olds - which would have made them pedophiles. They were out there seducing or coercing 13-18 yr old males, which makes them homosexual ephebophiles.

[Antoninus]

Pedophiles molest kids, no one else.

Clinically speaking, a guy who molests a 12 year old boy is a homosexual ephebophile. Most of the vile creatures among the priesthood who were guilty of sex abuse were exactly this: homosexual ephebophiles--who, by the way, would have approved of Elton John's little number with the stripping cub scouts not too long ago.

[onyx]

BUMP!

[vox_freedom]

In most of the cases they were gays homosexuals, not pedophiles.

Dittos

[A.A. Cunningham]

Clinically speaking not all 12 year old boys are post pubescent.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Now if he would only remove Bishop Lynch in Florida. Bishops who oppose Rome need to be removed as well. Lynch is a pathetic shepherd.

[Salvation]

This sounds good -- is anyone keeping a count? LOL!

You have FReepmail.

[Salvation]

And Flynn in Minnesota.

And Mahony in California.

And

and

and

[eleni121]

Get rid of them..but prosecute them too. What they committed was horrendous and the spokesperson should, say so...but instead "declined comment"

[Ohioan from Florida]

Absolutely! May God bless the Holy Father! There is much work to be done!

[ninenot]

Pedophiles molest children

Ephebophiles molest teenagers

BIG difference.

[ninenot]

According to the John Jay Commission, the ratio was about 6:1 (male to female victims)

[Antoninus]

Clinically speaking not all 12 year old boys are post pubescent.

Fair enough. But many are. And 12 was near the baseline for abuse. Many of the abused boys were older. Most were somewhere between 12 and 18.