COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A Denver area Roman Catholic priest accused of sexual misconduct with a minor in the 1970s was a pastor at a Colorado Springs church during that period.
The current pastor of Divine Redeemer Church, the Rev. Jim Klein, announced the news to parishioners on Saturday, reading a statement from Colorado Springs bishop Michael Sheridan. Klein said the abuse the Rev. Mel Thompson is accused of didn’t take place at Divine Redeemer, although he encouraged anyone with abuse allegations to contact the diocese.
The 500 congregants appeared stunned by the announcement, which is required under rules enacted by the U.S. Conference of Bishops following a church abuse scandal in Boston.
Denver archbishop Charles Chaput relieved Thompson of his duties St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial earlier this month. Thompson has said he is innocent.
The archdiocese said the abuse complaint came from an adult male about events in the early 1970s but it hasn’t provided any more details about when the alleged misconduct occurred. Thompson has served at seven Denver-area Catholic churches since 1969 but a timeline provided by the church does not say where Thompson served from 1970 to 1973.
———
Information from: The Gazette,
