04 March 2015

Bad priest for the day


It's, unfortunately, not much of a surprise, but Chris Palmer has an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about a priest caught with child porn:
A Bucks County priest removed from ministry last month was placed on leave because it was discovered that a trove of pornographic images he had downloaded in 2005 included up to a dozen photos of minors, the archdiocese said in a recent statement.
The Reverend Louis J. Kolenkiewicz, 47, most recently of St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Holland, had been disciplined in 2005 and 2011 for downloading pornography, Archdiocese of Philadelphia spokesman Ken Gavin said. But recently, Gavin said, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, which had investigated the previous cases but declined to press charges, told the archdiocese that among the twelve thousand images Kolenkiewicz downloaded in 2005, up to twelve may have depicted juveniles.
The archdiocese had announced in February of 2015 that Kolenkiewicz had been placed on leave, but did not specify why. The details were explained to St. Bede parishioners at a recent meeting, Gavin said.
Kolenkiewicz will remain on leave "pending the outcome of this matter", Gavin said.
The priest could not immediately be reached for comment.
Since being ordained in 1993, Kolenkiewicz has served in six parishes, according to the archdiocese: St. Gabriel in Norwood, in 1993 and 1994; St. John Bosco in Hatboro, from 1994 to 2002; St. Ignatius in Yardley, from 2002 to 2004; St. Bede's, from 2004 to 2008; Our Lady of Peace in Milmont Park, from 2008 to 2011; and St. Bede's again over the last year.
In 2005, according to Gavin, Kolenkiewicz admitted using a parish computer to view pornography, and in 2011, he was caught again possessing illicit images.
After the second incident, Gavin said, Kolenkiewicz spent three years on administrative leave while participating in treatment for his "issues with pornography".
Kolenkiewicz returned to active ministry at St. Bede's in June of 2014, Gavin said. There is "no evidence to suggest that Father Kolenkiewicz has viewed any pornographic material since his return to ministry," Gavin said.
Still, Gavin said, there is no time frame for when a decision might be made about Kolenkiewicz' ability to return after his most recent stint on leave.
Rico says they just don't get it, do they? (Again, Shakespeare was right...)

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