Catholic Priest Expected to Admit Sexual Abuse of Teen

If one foolishly believed the Vatican, one would think that all of the egregious cases of sexual abuse of children and minors occurred in the distant past - in the 1950's, 1960's or maybe early 1970's. However, like so much said by the Vatican, that story line is not true. Many cases of abuse occurred much more recently and like so many others were swept under the carpet by the hierarchy or deliberately covered up. A case in point is a story out of Charlotte, North Carolina, in which the abuse occurred in the LATE 1990's. Yes, less than a decade ago not some time in the distant past. In this sad tale, the abuse was perpetrated by Robert Yurgel (pictured on the right at left), a member of the order of Capuchin Franciscan Friars, who worked in several Charlotte parishes. I realize that at times I may sound like a broken record, but unless stories of the Catholic Church's moral bankruptcy continue to be highlighted, many people will falsely believe that the Church has come clean. Here are some highlights from the Charlotte Observer:

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The Rev. Robert Yurgel, the Catholic priest accused of molesting a 14-year-old boy in Charlotte a decade ago, is expected to plead guilty today in a deal with prosecutors that will send him to prison for more than seven years. . . . Yurgel, a member of the order of Capuchin Franciscan Friars, was indicted in 2008 and charged with eight counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and six counts of statutory sex offense.

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Yurgel's case is the first involving a Catholic priest in which the alleged sexual misconduct happened in Charlotte, though the 46-county Diocese of Charlotte had such cases in the 1980s and 1990s in Boone and Salisbury. Revelations of child sexual abuse by priests – and sometimes cover-ups by their bishops – have scandalized many Catholic dioceses across the country. The dioceses of Raleigh and Charleston, for example, have paid millions to settle victims' claims.

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The alleged victim, now 24, has sued Yurgel, the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and the Capuchin Franciscan Friars. The lawsuit says Yurgel molested him and accuses the diocese and the Franciscan Friars of covering up the sexual abuse. The lawsuit says Yurgel molested the boy in the room behind the altar at St. Matthew, now the largest church in the Charlotte diocese, and in the rectory of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte. The lawsuit alleges that the abuse also occurred at the boy's home when his parents were away, as well as in the priest's car.

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The lawsuit also includes an e-mail the teenager allegedly sent Yurgel in October 1999. The teen professed his love for the priest in the message, which was mistakenly sent to a church employee as well, according to the lawsuit. Top church officials were informed about the e-mail, the lawsuit says. Yet instead of trying to determine if the teen had been molested or notifying law enforcement, the lawsuit alleges, Bishop William Curlin, who then headed the diocese, contacted the Franciscan Friars in New Jersey and arranged a “rush transfer.” Yurgel was reassigned to New Jersey the same month the lawsuit says the e-mail was sent.