Archdiocese denies priest fired because of work for abuse victims

Published: 2004-05-04

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services abruptly removed Dominican Father Thomas P. Doyle from his post as an Air Force chaplain last September following a disagreement on pastoral duties of military chaplains. Father Doyle is widely known in the United States as an advocate for victims of childhood sexual abuse by clergy. Leaders of victims' groups said they regarded the priest's firing as retaliation for his work on behalf of victims but the military archdiocese denied that. Father Doyle told Catholic News Service, "I don't know. I can't say. I've had no dialogue with Archbishop (Edwin F.) O'Brien," head of the archdiocese. According to documentation Father Doyle made available, Archbishop O'Brien notified Father Doyle Sept. 17 that "I am withdrawing your endorsement to serve as a priest-chaplain, effective immediately." The archbishop wrote that an internal memo Father Doyle sent the previous month to his non-Catholic chaplain superiors at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany contradicted a policy letter the archbishop had recently distributed to Catholic chaplains. The letter was titled, "Basic Expectations of the Archdiocese for the Military Services for the Pastoral Care of Our Catholic Personnel."

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