A Missouri Catholic priest was found guilty by the church of soliciting an adult for sex during confession, church officials announced.
Father Ignazio Medina, a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City, is prohibited from holding any ecclesiastical office, celebrating mass in public and hearing confessions from parishioners, since the ecclesiastical court declared him guilty.
Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City launched an investigation into Medina after receiving a report through the diocese’s abuse hotline in April 2022, the diocese said.
On November 27, 2023, Medina, a priest at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Ozark, was found guilty by decree of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. Medina did not appeal the decision.
An ecclesiastical court found Father Ignacio Medina guilty of soliciting sex during a confession. Facebook//Diocese of Jefferson City/Jay Nies
Father Medina remains a priest in the diocese, but is prohibited from confessing or celebrating public masses. bizoo_n – stock.adobe.com
“I want to make it clear that sexual solicitation during confession is a sacrilege, a crime in our Church and a serious form of abuse; it cannot be tolerated,” Bishop McKnight said in a statement. “With God’s help we must work to continue eradicating abuse from all corners of our Church.
The bishop said he met and spoke with Medina “to express my concerns and informed him that he will not be allowed to celebrate or concelebrate Mass publicly.” However, he will still be able to perform funeral masses for his immediate family, attend the gathering of priests at their annual conference, and attend the Chrism Mass, a mass celebrated by bishops for his priests.
Medina remains a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City and continues to receive support as a retired priest, the diocese said.
“I thank the victim in this case for coming forward and I pray for healing,” Bishop McKnight said.
“As we move forward together, I seek the renewal of our Church by facing the terrible reality of abuse with the hope and grace of the Gospel that provides the healing we all need,” he added.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn