Victims group urges Philadelphia archbishop to defrock convicted priest

Victims group urges Philadelphia archbishop to defrock convicted priest

NCR

By David Gibson, Religion News Service

The leading advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse by clergy is urging Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput to defrock the priest convicted last week of shielding other clerics who preyed on children. But laicizing Monsignor William Lynn is not as simple as it sounds. Lynn oversaw clergy assignments in the Philadelphia archdiocese for a decade and is the first high-ranking church official ever found guilty of covering up for abuse, not committing it.