A Missouri Catholic priest was found guilty by the church of soliciting sex from an adult during confession, resulting in his prohibition from holding office, hearing confessions, and publicly celebrating Mass without explicit permission.
The priest, Father Ignazio Medina, was investigated and found guilty by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.
The Bishop of Jefferson City emphasized the severity of the act and the need to eradicate abuse from the Church, expressing gratitude to the victim and those involved in the investigation. (Trending: U.S. State Passes Personal Pronoun Ban)
Despite the guilty verdict, Medina remains a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City and receives support as a retired priest.
“I want to be clear that sexual solicitation during confession is a sacrilege, a crime in our Church, and a grave form of abuse; it cannot be tolerated,” Bishop W. Shawn McKnight said.
“With God’s help we must work to continue to eradicate abuse from all corners of our Church. Please join me in prayer for all who are left in pain and confusion when a trusted leader abuses their position of sacred trust and power for sinful purposes.”
“I have met with Father Medina to express my concerns and informed him he will not be allowed to celebrate or concelebrate Mass publicly except for funeral Masses of his immediate family, at the gathering of priests at their annual conference in October, and at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week,” he added.
“I thank the victim in this case for stepping forward, and I pray for healing,” McKnight said.
“I also thank all who helped during the investigation and disciplinary process. In addition, I am very grateful for our clergy, parish staff and parishioners who are dedicated to ensuring our diocesan Safe Environment protocols are followed.”
“As we move forward together, I seek the renewal of our Church by facing the awful reality of abuse with the hope and grace of the Gospel which provides the healing we all need.”
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