CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2023 / 14:10 pm
The Archdiocese of Baltimore said last week that Masses and sacraments at a Baltimore parish would be discontinued after its pastor was removed there last month following a scandal over sex abuse accusations and hush money.
Baltimore priest Father Paschal Morlino, OSB, the former pastor of St. Benedict Parish, was suspended from priestly duties last month after an investigation from the archdiocese.
The priest told a local media outlet earlier in October that years ago he had entered a confidential $200,000 settlement to quiet allegations of sexual assault and financial fraud. The archdiocese said in a statement last month that after being made aware of the report, it immediately began an investigation and decided within 24 hours, along with Morlino’s Benedictine order, to remove Morlino as pastor of St. Benedict and suspend his priestly faculties.
In a statement on Saturday, the archdiocese announced that “a pastor will not be named for St. Benedict Church” following Morlino’s removal and that “because of this, the number of ministries will be limited going forward.”