By Raul Castillo
06 Nov 2023, 21:48 PM EST
The Archdiocese of Baltimore will close one of the city’s Catholic churches after its pastor, Paschal Morlino, was suspended last month from ministry because he admitted to making a payment several years ago to settle a sexual harassment complaint.
Morlino, the Associated Press reported, was fired from his position at St. Benedict Church in southwest Baltimore. There he served for 40 years, during which, according to the media’s information, he became known for helping residents of poorer areas.
The 85-year-old priest returned to Pennsylvania after the suspension.
St. Benedict Church is owned and operated by Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania. In a separate joint statement with the archdiocese on Saturday, cited by the AP, monastery representatives said they would not name a new pastor to replace Morlino.
“The difficult decision was made due to the limited number of clergy available,” they argued.
As a result, parishioners are being diverted to other churches for mass and other religious services. However, the church in Baltimore will continue to host community events and outreach programs, according to the AP.
“We understand this news comes at a difficult time for parishioners,” officials said in Saturday’s statement. “An outreach team will be available to assist parishioners and, if they wish, help them receive Catholic pastoral services in nearby parishes.”
The accusations against Morlino
Details about the accusations against Morlino are scarce. Church officials have said they consider “alleged sexual harassment of an adult man” that occurred in 2018. The complainant, according to the AP, died in 2020.
In Saturday’s statement, archdiocese officials also said they are investigating another complaint against Morlino involving sexual abuse of a minor. This supposedly occurred in 1993, although Morlino denied the accusation.
It all came about thanks to a report from The Baltimore Banner. When the outlet’s journalists asked the diocese about the matter, they opened an investigation and fired Morlino, they said.
The media spoke with a friend of the complainant. She revealed that her friend had been on a cruise with Morlino a few years ago, and that when she woke up one morning, he was on top of her.
In an interview with that same outlet, Morlino confirmed the $200,000 settlement payment, denied any wrongdoing and said he had nothing to hide.
“I just wanted to keep him quiet, get rid of him, because he was just causing trouble,” she said. “My conscience is clear; They are all things that he invented,” he added to The Banner, referring to the whistleblower. “I took care of his health insurance; That was the deal,” Morlino said. “He did not have money; he took advantage of my sympathy.”
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