Reform of the ‘Reform’: Priest Group Calls For Due Process For Accused Priests

The Association of United States Catholic Priests calls for due process for accused priests

The Association of United States Catholic Priests (AUSCP), a group with the self-described mission of providing a pastoral and collegial voice for priests, has a humble plea for the newly installed Pope Leo XIV: The Church needs to return to the practice of following Canon Law and respect the due process rights for priests accused of misconduct.

As this site has chronicled numerous times (1, 2 …), the ordeal which an accused priest has to endure is not only personally excruciating but also unnecessarily long and unwieldy. It is not uncommon for an accused priest's livelihood to remain in limbo for several years while his case plods along in needless bureaucracy and bloated Church administration.

The wrongdoing at hand

In its plea to Pope Leo as well as U.S. Catholic bishops, the group lists four major injustices that accused priests are facing today:

• The imposition of penalties before a priest has had the opportunity to even defend himself.
• Publishing the names of priests as 'accused' before substantial and verifiable evidence has been gathered and the investigation completed, including the naming of deceased priests who are unable to defend themselves.
• Continued freezing of priests from their ministry for long periods of time even when there is lack of credible evidence.
• Prolonged and opaque Vatican processes that can take years to reach a decision.

And the solution, according to the AUSCP, is quite simple: The Church merely needs to follow long-established Canon Law, which already has a process for accused priests in place. For example, Canon 1321 clearly states that not only is a priest "considered innocent until the contrary is proved," but that "no one can be punished" until guilt is established. Meanwhile, contrary to Canon 1321, bishops very often remove accused priests from ministry in a very public fashion even over the mere whiff of misconduct. The AUSCP explains:

"Strict adherence to Canons 1321, 1341, and 1362 is essential to preserving the integrity of the investigative process and restoring trust among the clergy that they are supported and valued by their bishops and the church. The embracement of due process, presumption of innocence, and the right to a good reputation is foundational to the achievement of justice. Equally true is an investigation completed swiftly and competently, thus affirming the legal maxim, 'justice delayed is justice denied,' which is applies to both the accuser and the accused."

Although this site does not support many of the positions of the AUSCP – for example, it has in essence called for the ordination of women – we salute the group's valiant efforts to address this badly broken system of justice when it comes to accused priests and allegations of misconduct. We wish them the very best in this important endeavor.

Documents from the AUSCP, all from this month:

• Letter to Pope Leo (pdf)
• Letter to U.S. Bishops (pdf)
• Press release (pdf)
• Position paper: "Moving Toward Restoring Justice For Priests" (pdf)

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Want to learn about the rampancy of false accusations against priests?:
- "The Great Shakedown Keeps A-Rollin': Phony Claims Continue at Epic Pace, Here Are The Facts" (January 2024)
- The Greatest Fraud Never Told: False Accusations, Phony Grand Jury Reports, and the Assault on the Catholic Church (Amazon.com)