Texas Bishop Calls for Suspension of Msgr. Walter Rossi, by Christine Niles

WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) – A Texas bishop is calling on an alleged homosexual predator priest to be placed on leave while two investigations into abuse are ongoing.In a Sept. 4 tweet, Bp. Joseph Strickland of the diocese of Tyler insisted Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., should be suspended while under investigation for homosexual predation.

Retweeting a tweet from Church Militant’s Michael Voris, in which Voris said, “So why is Msgr. Walter Rossi even still, right this very moment, not been removed from ministry while not one, but TWO investigations of him are being conducted for homopredation,” Strickland wrote, “This is contrary to canon law; a canonical Preliminary Investigation is called for and Msgr Rossi should be on administrative leave.”

Rossi is being investigated by two dioceses: Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he is incardinated, and Washington, D.C., where he serves at the National Shrine. When contacted by Church Militant asking why neither Bambera nor Gregory have restricted Rossi’s ministry, neither offered a response.

In June, Church Militant reported that Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò confirmed that, as papal nuncio, he had received multiple complaints of homosexual abuse by Rossi from students of nearby Catholic University of America (CUA). ….