Archdiocese of Baltimore to Close Church After Pastor's Suspension for Sexual Harassment Settlement

The Archdiocese of Baltimore will close St. Benedict Church after longtime pastor Father Paschal Morlino was suspended due to admitting a settlement payment for sexual harassment allegations.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has announced the closure of St. Benedict Church, a prominent Catholic church in the city, following the suspension of its longtime pastor who admitted to paying off sexual harassment allegations several years ago. This shocking revelation came about when Father Paschal Morlino was dismissed from his position last month.

Father Paschal Morlino had served at St. Benedict Church for nearly 40 years and had become renowned for his efforts to assist residents in impoverished neighborhoods around the church. However, few details about a complaint lodged against him in 2018 have been made public. The church officials stated that they took into account "alleged sexual harassment of an adult man". The complainant passed away in 2020 and their lawyer has refrained from commenting due to a non-disclosure agreement.

Ownership and Future Plans

St. Benedict is owned and managed by Saint Vincent Archabbey located in Pennsylvania, known as the oldest Benedictine monastery in America. In collaboration with the archdiocese, monastery leaders issued a statement on Saturday revealing that they would not appoint a new pastor to replace Morlino due to "the limited number of clergy available". After being suspended from his pastoral duties, 85-year-old Morlino returned to Pennsylvania's monastery.

Continued Community Engagement

Despite these developments, church officials confirmed that community events and outreach programs will continue at St. Benedict Church premises in Baltimore.

Detection and Response

The archdiocese disclosed that it became aware of this settlement only last month when investigative journalists from The Baltimore Banner started asking questions about it. Officials responded swiftly by initiating an internal investigation which led them to dismiss Father Morlino.

In their statement, the officials expressed understanding of the difficult time parishioners are going through. They announced that an outreach team will be available to assist them and, if they wish, help them receive Catholic pastoral services at nearby parishes.

In conclusion, this episode serves as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in religious institutions. The church's swift action following the revelation highlights its commitment to maintaining trust with its congregation. However, it also underscores a need for ongoing vigilance and robust systems to prevent such incidents from occurring in future.