Catholic World News News Feature
Davenport diocese asks Vatican to laicize five priests; Vatican reinstates Detroit priest February 26, 2004
The Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, announced on Wednesday that it will ask the Vatican to laicize five priests, four of whom are accused of molesting young people, and a fifth convicted of downloading child pornography.
Bishop William Franklin said the accusations against James Janssen, Francis Bass, Frank Martinez, and William Wiebler date between 1956 and 1986 and were deemed credible under the national policy on clergy sex abuse set up by the US bishops two years ago. Three of the four are retired and one is on an extended leave of absence. The bishop also named Richard Poster as the priest sentenced to a year in prison last month on child pornography charges. The diocese is still investigating accusations against four other priests.
The diocese had previously released a report that since 1950, 20 priests and two laymen have been accused by 65 people of sex abuse.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has decided return to active ministry a priest who had served as a US Navy chaplain and was placed on administrative leave after sex abuse allegations were made. Father Brian Bjorklund, 64, was suspended by the Archdiocese of Detroit last year after he was accused of molesting a 17-year-old boy sometime between 1975 and 1977.
The archdiocese said that, "according to canon law in place at the time (1975-1977), the alleged action did not constitute the crime of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 16. Therefore any penal procedure is not possible." The Church's law at the time determined that a 17-year-old male is an adult, although the definition has been changed to say that anyone under the age of 18 is now considered a minor.
"Additionally, the Congregation found that there was no proof or indication that Father Bjorklund represented a risk to minors or that his continued ministry would constitute scandal or any harm to the community," said Bishop Walter Hurley, Cardinal Adam Maida's delegate to the archdiocesan review board. "With this in mind, we expect Father Bjorklund to resume his military chaplaincy with the required endorsement of Cardinal Maida."
