List Emerges Of 21 Suspended Philly Priests

PHILADELPHIA - The names of 21 priests suspended by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia emerged on Wednesday after they were put on leave by the Roman Catholic church earlier this week.

Click Here To See The List

The Archdiocese is not commenting on the list, which started appearing on local Internet sites before 4 p.m.

Sources have confirmed to Fox 29 the list is accurate.

Ash Wednesday was the start of Lent, the holiest time in the Catholic Church, the period for penance leading up to Easter. But starting Wednesday, the names of the priests were being announced in all of the affected parishes.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has suspended 21 priests who were named as child molestation suspects in last month's grand jury report. Each has been placed on administrative leave.

Besides the 21 priests placed on administrative leave Tuesday , three others were suspended a week after the report's release in February.

The Archdiocese said the action followed an initial examination of files looking at both the substance of allegations and the process by which those allegations were reviewed. The next step in each case is a thorough independent investigation.

Cardinal Justin Rigali said in a statement earlier this week that, "I pray that the efforts of the Archdiocese to address these cases of concern and to re-evaluate our way of handling allegations will help rebuild that trust in truth and justice."

Despite witness accounts of clergy named at Wednesday masses, the Archdiocese declined to confirm or deny specific names.

Rigali said he placed the 21 priests on administrative leave, and the "action follows an initial examination of files looking at both the substance of allegations and the process by which those allegations were reviewed. In each case the next step is a thorough independent investigation."

“These have been difficult weeks since the release of the Grand Jury Report: difficult most of all for victims of sexual abuse, but also for all Catholics and for everyone in our community," Rigali said.