Cardinal George permanently removes 11 from ministry

In the final resolution of cases that made headlines at the height of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal, Cardinal Francis George has permanently removed 11 priests from public ministry because of sexual misconduct with children.

Fourteen Chicago cases had been forwarded to the Vatican for review since the American church’s new rules on sex abuse allegations took effect in 2002.

Two face canonical trials–a local proceeding in front of a panel of priests–because the Vatican determined that their cases required more deliberation. Neither is expected to return to ministry, the cardinal has said. One priest who could have faced penalties imposed by the cardinal has died.

The 11 priests had worked in parishes across Cook and Lake Counties, and some had held high-ranking positions in the archdiocese. They had already been removed from ministry while their cases were pending. Now they will be expected to live out the remainder of their lives in prayer in a monitored and restricted setting. "The archbishop in his decision feels there is moral certitude about what happened," Chancellor Jimmy Lago said Monday in announcing the cases’ resolution. "What canon law requires is that we be morally certain that the abuse occurred. In each of the 11 cases, Cardinal George has determined, based on the information presented, that sexual misconduct did occur."

Each priest can appeal the cardinal’s verdict, but the process could take a number of years, Lago said. George will not seek to remove the men from the priesthood, opting instead to keep them under close supervision.

"We would much rather have these individuals in a monitored restricted setting, not engaging in public ministry," Lago said. "This is a situation that we have a little bit more control over."