A married Catholic priest has been removed from the priesthood after leaving the country with a teenage girl this summer, church officials announced Friday.
The Archdiocese of Mobile announced in a statement that Alex Crowe is no longer a member of the clergy. The church announced that Mr. Crowe had asked to be removed from the priesthood.
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The relationship between the priest and the teenager attracted international attention this summer. Authorities in southern Alabama said Crowe left the country in late July with an 18-year-old woman who had just graduated from McGill-Tulane Catholic High School. News outlets said Crowe did not teach at the school but visited a theology class where he heard confessions.
The Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama announced that Alex Crowe has been formally revoked from membership in the Catholic clergy.
Church officials announced Friday that they had received a letter from Pope Francis confirming that the unlocking of the Crow, known as laicization, has been completed.
“I pray that this decision will be another way for us all to move toward peace after these disturbing events,” Archbishop Thomas J. Roddy said in a statement. I will continue to pray that this will bring healing to everyone.”
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The Archdiocese of Mobile announced Crowe's suspension in July and said the bishop could begin the process of removing him from the clergy after he leaves office for six months. Officials said Mr. Crowe requested his removal before the six-month period was up.
A marriage certificate filed late last year listed Crowe as married to a young woman. Mobile County's district attorney announced last year that it had concluded an investigation into criminal activity in the relationship.
