Arlington Priest's Status Removed

Cleric Convicted Of Sex Abuse in '84

A retired Roman Catholic priest convicted of child sexual abuse in 1984 has been stripped of his clerical status by the Vatican at the request of Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde, the diocese announced yesterday.

The Rev. Andrew W. Krafcik, 77, who served "in limited ministry" from 1985 until his 1996 retirement, was informed Saturday "that he has been dismissed from the clerical state by a decision of the Holy Father," the diocese said.

The action is one of the most extreme punishments the Vatican can impose on its clerics. It means that Krafcik cannot celebrate Mass even privately, administer the sacraments, wear clerical garb or present himself as a priest.

Krafcik, who lives in Arlington, said in a telephone interview that he felt "terrible" about the action, which he considers unfair. "I was against it," he said. "I didn't want to get dismissed from the priesthood."

In the 50 years prior to 2002, 277 priests were laicized -- removed from their clerical status -- because of child sexual abuse, according to a definitive study of the problem conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the U.S. Catholic bishops.

That study, released in February, found that 163 priests asked to be laicized, and 114 were removed at the request of their superiors, according to the study's chief data analyst, Margaret Leland Smith.

Church experts said they expect to hear about an increasing number of such punishment as the cases resulting from the church's 2002 sex abuse scandal reach conclusions.

"The cases sent to Rome are now being processed -- and so resolved -- in greater numbers," the Rev. Ronny E. Jenkins, professor of canon law at Catholic University wrote in an e-mail. "So for that reason, the announcements might well increase when Rome determines laicization is a just response."

Two priests from the Washington Archdiocese were removed in recent years because of child abuse. Thomas Chleboski requested it immediately after being criminally charged in 1991, and Robert Petrella was laicized last year at the request of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, an archdiocesan spokeswoman said.

In the Baltimore Archdiocese, Brian Cox was punished in the same way this year at the request of Cardinal William Keeler, an archdiocesan spokesman said.

Canon lawyer Jenkins said in an interview that not every case involving a pedophile priest warrants such a measure, although when a bishop requests it, "it's for a very serious matter."

The Arlington Diocese has received no other allegations of child abuse against Krafcik, either before or after the 1984 incident, according to diocesan spokesman Soren Johnson.

He declined to elaborate on why Loverde in 2002 asked the Vatican to remove Krafcik, one of nine priests credibly accused of child abuse in the past 30 years in the diocese, according to figures released by the diocese in February. He also declined to say if Loverde had requested the action for any other priests.

Loverde "asked me if I wanted to be laicized," Krafcik said. "I said no. He said he was going to make sure I would be laicized."