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Friday, July 08, 2011

Former Salisbury Priest Objects to Wilmington Diocese Bankruptcy Plan

A priest identified by the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington as a suspected child sex abuser is objecting to the diocese's bankruptcy reorganization plan.

The plan, to be considered at a hearing Friday, requires church officials to release internal documents, including personnel files of accused abusers, detailing how the diocese handled pedophile priests.

But Charles Wiggins argues that public disclosure of such information would violate his right to privacy.

Wiggins was removed from active ministry in 2003 after allegations of improper conduct with children, which he claims involved foot massages. But the diocese included him in a 2006 list of 20 diocesan priests with credible or substantiated complaints of child sexual abuse.

Wiggins denies being an abuser and says church officials in Rome have directed that he be reinstated to active ministry.

Born in 1957, Wiggins was ordained in 1985. His assignments included: Our Lady of Fatima, New Castle, Del., 1985; Parish of the Resurrection, Wilmington, Del., and chaplain at St. Mark's High School, 1986; St. Francis de Sales, Salisbury, 1987; St. John, Milford, Del., 1991; St. John the Baptist/Holy Angels, Newark, Del., 1992; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Secretary, 1993; Holy Family, Newark, Del., 1994; Holy Spirit, New Castle, 1997; removed from ministry, 2003. At the time the diocese released its list of priests accused of sexually abusing children, Wiggins was living in Norwood, Pa.

from the Star-Democrat / AP

2 comments:

tmills said...

that photo looks very photoshopped

Anonymous said...

What about the reights of the children he violated and the rights of parents to protect their children from perverts like this guy? He should be stripped of all his rights (or better than that-locked up) in order to protect the innocent.