A PERVERT Wigan priest who sexually abused boys at a top boarding school remains part of the Catholic clergy, despite being jailed two years ago.
Fr William Green, formerly of Holy Family RC Church in New Springs, is currently two years into a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to 27 counts of sexual assault in 2008.
Green, 69, abused six pupils aged 11 to 15 while working as a religious education teacher at St Bede’s Boys’ School in Whalley Range, Manchester, between 1975 and 1987.
Following Green’s conviction, after one of his victims came forward, church chiefs vowed that he would never minister to the public again. But two years later he has still not been defrocked or “laicised” – a process involving the Vatican which would strip him of his priesthood and privileges.
One of his former parishioners, who does not wish to be identified, said: “It is an absolute disgrace that this man should still be part of the Roman Catholic clergy.
“Just what does it take to have him thrown out of the Church? With the Pope’s visit this week, this just gives the Church’s critics further ammunition.”
Guidelines agreed by the Catholic Church in 2001 state that any cleric sentenced to a year or more in jail for sexual abuse should face laicisation.
Green was asked by the Diocese of Salford in January 2009 to apply for laicisation and he agreed to do so.
However, this process is still on-going and he has yet to be dismissed from the clerical state.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Salford confirmed: “William Green is in the process of being laicised.”
FULL STORY IN THE WIGAN EVENING POST (THURSDAY) ...