A Missouri Catholic priest has been found guilty by the church of soliciting sex from an adult during confession, church officials announced.
Father Ignazio Medina, a priest in the Diocese of Jefferson City, was barred from holding any church office, celebrating mass in public and hearing confessions from parishioners effective immediately after a church tribunal found 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 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. Medina did not appeal the decision.
A church tribunal found Father Ignazio Medina guilty of soliciting sex during confession. Facebook//Diocese of Jefferson City/Jay Nies
Father Medina remained a priest in the diocese but was prohibited from hearing confessions or celebrating public mass. bizoo_n – stock.adobe.com
“I want to make it clear that sexual requests during confession are an insult, a crime in our Church, and a serious form of abuse; it is unacceptable,” Bishop McKnight said in a statement. “With God’s help we must strive to continue eradicating abuse from all corners of our Church.
The bishop said he had met and spoken with Medina “to express my concern and inform him that he will not be allowed to celebrate or hold Mass publicly.” However, he can still perform funeral services for his immediate family, attend gatherings of priests at their annual conferences and Chrism Mass, the mass celebrated by bishops for their 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 victims in this case for coming forward, and I pray for healing,” Bishop McKnight said.
“As we move forward together, I seek to renew our Church by facing the horrific reality of abuse with the hope and grace of the Gospel that provides the healing we all need,” he added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
