The original petition, "Defrock Charles Michael Abdelahad" is located here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/983/755/643/defrock-charles-michael-abdelahad/
Please review this petition for all the details of this priest's crimes, guilt, and subsequent incarceration.
During Defense Attorney Reardon's final closing arguements in court before Judge Andrew M. D'Angelo, Attorney Reardon stated that Rev. Abdelahad's days as a priest were over; he will never act as a priest again.
Within thirty days of release from the Worcester County House of Correction where Abdelahad spent nearly 75 days of a two year sentence for his crimes, Rev. Abdelahad is back on the altar at two parishes: St. George Antiochian Church in Norwood and St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church in Dedham.
To date, no Antiochian priest, bishop, or the ruler of the American Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Philip Saliba, has come out with any statement regarding the crimes and punishment of Abdelahad. Metropolitan Philip also has an active bishop, Bishop Demetri Khoury, a registered sex offender, as an active bishop. The official Antiochian Orthodox Church website, www.antiochian.org, in fact, is promoting Bishop Khoury's latest book for sale.
It seems as if the world has got stand up to this church and say, NO MORE CRIMINAL PRIESTS to the Antiochian Orthodox Church.
If you are outraged that Rev. Charles Michael Abdelahad is back on the altar - as predicted by organizations like Pokrov.org, SNAP, and myself - please sign this petition.
When will churches learn they are not kingdoms without responsibilites to public safety? How much taxpayers' monies have been spent persecuting and then incarcerating priests like Abdelahad and Khoury? And why is this church above the law by placing a sex offender and a convicted felon back into their employment workforce - in priestly garb - where they are able to perhaps offend again and again, without consequences?
Sign the petition please. Pass it among friends and family. Pass it along to victims of clergy abuse if it is safe for them to read about this case. Please do not sign quietly while another Antiochian priest is given the Bernard Law-style absolution of priest swapping.
Why should another Orthodox Church become subject to the possibility of being victimized by a convicted felon like Charles Michael Abdelahad?
