Father Lawrence Johnson, the Catholic priest who was sentenced to life on the charge of a sexual offense against a minor boy may face actions from the Vatican after Indian Cardinal, Oswald Gracias, reportedly recommended the Vatican to resume ‘canonical procedures’ against the cleric.
Lawrence Johnson was a priest at the Archdiocese of Bombay (Mumbai) when he was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court dealing with sexual offenses against children on Dec 29, 2021.
The Catholic priest was also charged with violating several sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Gracias, who is also one of the archbishops of Bombay, in a statement, said that “As the case has been concluded in the courts, I am recommending to the Roman Offices that the canonical proceedings which were suspended due to the ongoing hearings be now resumed.”
Johnson was arrested on Dec 2, 2015, and charged with having engaged in “sexual activities against the order of nature”. When Johnson molested the boy the victim was 13 years old.
What made the case unique was it was the first publicly reported case of Catholic Christain clergy sex abuse. However, it was a long road to justice because, after the boy’s parents had complained against the pedophile priest, cardinal Gracias, and two other bishops tried to cover up the case.
The boy’s mother also had stated that when the matter was informed to Cardinal Gracias, he behaved and acted as if nothing had happened. However, Gracias has now claimed that the church had acted and the priest in question was immediately
suspended.
“…I continue to pray for the victim and the family. I understand their pain, anguish and anger. I ask pardon that a representative of the Church, appointed to be in charge of the community, was responsible for this,” he said.
The Catholic Church has a history of covering up crimes of priests who have raped and molested their parishioners all over the world. In fact, the Church has used all types of coercive tactics from threat, intimidation and monitory inducement to cover up the crimes of its clergy.
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