Former Del. priest pleads guilty to sexually abusing boy

[Ian David]

Former Del. priest pleads guilty to sexually abusing boy
The Rev. Francis G. DeLuca served 35 years in Catholic Diocese of Wilmington

WILMINGTON (AP) — A retired Delaware priest pleaded guilty in a New York court on Thursday to sexually abusing a boy over several years.

<snip>

DeLuca, 77, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He will be sentenced Aug. 27 by Syracuse City Court Judge Kate Rosenthal, said assistant district attorney Kari Armstrong.

Armstrong said prosecutors recommended “shock probation” of 45 days in the county jail, but Rosenthal told DeLuca he probably would get no worse than probation, The (Wilmington) News Journal reported.

<snip>

DeLuca served in Wilmington until 1993, when similar allegations arose here and he was allowed to retire to his hometown of Syracuse by former Bishop Robert Mulvee.

Shortly after DeLuca’s arrest last year, Bishop Michael Saltarelli released the names of 20 diocesan priests against whom the Wilmington diocese had substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse.

More:
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/NEWS01/70628068/1002

[soothsayer]

1. Does the Catholic church (i'm catholic too) train priests to think bad things about women?

Is that what all of this stems from? Of course, I don't know why they'd go after boys rather than grown men, except that young boys are more girlish.

[Ian David]

2. Anyone willing to pledge celibacy for the rest of their lives does not have healthy sexual urges.

That doesn't mean they're not a good person or that they don't feel some kind of "calling."