Vatican removes MSSP priest from clerical state
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says Godwin Scerri remains MSSP member.
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has removed convicted child abuser Fr Godwin Scerri from his clerical state, after finding the former priest guilty of child sex abuse charges.
Scerri remains a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul.
Fr Carmelo Pulis and Scerri were jailed for six years and five years respectively following their conviction of sexually abusing boys at St Joseph Home in Sta Venera, Hamrun.
The accused originally stood charged together with a third priest Fr Joseph Bonnett who passed away last January, aged 63.
The case was made public when Lawrence Grech, one of the alleged victims, claimed he had been sexually abused whilst residing at St Joseph’s Home in Santa Venera in the late 1980s.
The priests faced accusations by 11 victims, who were then aged between 13 and 16, were resident at St Joseph’s Home in Sta Venera in the late 1980s when the abuse took place.
Scerri was however acquitted of violent rape charges due to a flaw in the accusation, which accused him of raping one of the victims at Marfa, when testimonies revealed that the act had taken place in St Joseph’s home.
Scerri was revealed to have had touched or masturbated victims in various instances, either in Marfa, or at the care home. The victim also testified how Scerri would even often give him sweets and money.
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I thought when he received the sacrament he was married to god as what happened in all marriages during good days and during bad days.
But vatican applied for divorce with this priest
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It took some time for the Vatican to take its decision. I wonder Why it took so long following the court verdict a while a go.
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THIS IS LIKE A NEVER ENDING STORY,I BET THERE WAS SOME KIND OF VIRUS RUNNING AROUND IN ST.VENERA.
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Hang the bastards!
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So far we know of only two Maltese priests who have been defrocked because they sexually abused children, namely Mr.Godwin Scerri and Mr.Carmelo Pulis. Can the curia inform us if there are other Maltese priests who have been defrocked for similar reasons? If that is the case, the curia needs to warn the Maltese public about these criminals by telling us who they are and where they live. Children are safe when predators are exposed.
Very unfortunately, there remain several naïve Maltese Catholics who still refuse to believe that the sex abuse problem by priests and its cover-up even exist. The church needs to flush out this wickedness. Let’s stop the secrecy in Malta now.
