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2 Philly priests removed amid sexual abuse inquiry

PHILADELPHIA — Two additional priests will be permanently barred from ministry after the Philadelphia archdiocese substantiated allegations against them involving inappropriate conduct with children, church officials said Friday.

The priests violated standards of “behavior” or “boundaries” but were not accused of sexual assaults, Archbishop Charles Chaput said. Four other suspended priests will return to ministry because the church deemed allegations against them were not credible, while another 12 cases remain under review, he said.

“In making these decisions I relied on the counsel of numerous experts,” Chaput wrote in a statement. “They come from various professional disciplines and have dedicated their lives to child protection, to the investigation of sexual offenders and to support for victims of sexual violence.”

The announcement was the second one from the archdiocese’s ongoing review of clergy sex abuse allegations. In May, five priests were banned from ministry and three were restored to ministry, while another priest died during the investigation and no determination was made in his case.

It also comes exactly two weeks after former top archdiocesan aide Monsignor William Lynn was convicted of felony child-endangerment for his handling of abuse complaints as the secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, mostly under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. He faces up to 7 years in prison when he is sentenced later this month.

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