The Catholic Archdiocese of
Philadelphia, battered since 2011 by a high-profile child sex
abuse scandal, said on Sunday it had placed another five priests
on administrative leave, including one accused of sexual abuse.
Following a church investigation Archbishop Charles J.
Chaput determined that there was a substantiated case of sexual
abuse of a minor against a 58-year-old priest identified as
Michael A. Chapman, according to a church statement. It gave no
further details on the allegation.
Chapman was not immediately available for comment.
The other four suspended priests were determined to have
violated standards of behavior and boundaries, the church said
without elaborating. A church document defines one of the
boundaries as pertaining to appropriate behavior with children.
The church said it had already reported the allegations
against the men to the Philadelphia district attorney's office,
and an archdiocese spokesman said he was not aware of any
criminal charges against the men.
Calls to the district attorney's office were not immediately
returned on Sunday.
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