Philly Clergy Arrests and Removals Has Laity Lacking Trust and Hope

In the past few years a number of Philly priests have been arrested for various crimes. Others have been removed from ministry by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for credible allegations of sexual abuse or violations of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries with little information provided. Still others have disappeared from ministry completely with the Archdiocese offering no information. Catholics4Change is often asked by parishioners to assist in gaining some transparency when they feel that they have been lied to or ignored. Although the below links may seem like the Archdiocese is being transparent, the stories behind many of the cases are of priests who exhibited red flags for years prior to their removals or arrests. In some cases, red flags on fire.

The Trust and Hope Strategic Team of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is asking laity to return to the church with their families. The youth centric plan is highlighted in the meetings that have been held for laity over the past few months. We have asked the team to assist the Catholics4Change community with improving both child and laity protection. If they are asking people to return, then there is a responsibility that comes along with that plan.

The past few months have been spent alerting Brian McCarthy and Dan Cellucci of various problems that exist in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Brian is the head of the Strategic Team.. Dan is the leader of the Catholic Leadership Institute which is contracted to assist in this new effort in the Archdiocese. We have included the entire team in our recent communications. Click here to meet the team :https://catholicphilly.com/2025/01/news/local-news/meet-the-team-in-churchs-strategic-planning-office/

The below cases , some which have been shared with the Strategic Team and Dan Cellucci, are arrests or removals that occurred after, and are separate from, the 2011 Grand Jury Report. After the 2005 Grand Jury Report, which identified dozens of child predator priests sexually violating children for decades, we were told that everything was fixed. Then the 2011 Grand Jury Report showed the lies of the Archdiocese and 26 more priests were suspended. After the 2011 “clean up” now we were on the right track. Wrong again. The links below are to new cases that came to light separate and after the 2011 Report. The case of Fr Andrew McCormick is the only case linked to the 2011 Report.

The cases below include financial crimes, the sexual violation of children, sexual misconduct against adults, solicitation of prostitution, child exploitation and child pornography arrests, porn addictions, and other undisclosed violations of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries.

It never ends. A pastor was removed from his parish last summer for violating the Standards. In April a Philly priest was sentenced for theft from his parish . In January the Catholics4Change community discovered a depraved porn podcast that a young priest recorded at his first assignment in 2020.

It never ends and nothing has changed to improve conditions for children and laity. Transparency from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is at an all time low since we began our efforts in 2011. It is going backwards and that only means increased risk in a diocese where deception has been the modus operandi for decades.

Read and it and weep.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/media/delaware-county-priest-deemed-unsuitable-after-drug-charges

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/springfield-pastor-placed-on-administrative-leave-over-concerns-of-his-suitability-for-ministry/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/monsignor-stole-500-000-gambling-130213540.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall