Priest on charges: Almost impossible to fire

Despite several complaints about the sexual harassment and threats is a priest from the greater Copenhagen still employed and living in its parsonage. – It is

Ann McDonald
Ann McDonald
11 February 2020 Tuesday 06:00
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Priest on charges: Almost impossible to fire

Despite several complaints about the sexual harassment and threats is a priest from the greater Copenhagen still employed and living in its parsonage.

– It is possible, but difficult to fire a priest, and it can often be a long drawn-out affair, says Hans Raun Iversen is associate professor emeritus at the Theological Faculty of Copenhagen University.

See also: Several complaints against the well-known priest: sexual Harassment and threats

See also: President of the complaint against the priest: - Sexually offensive

See also: Boy on the priest: - He touched our breasts

That a priest is hard to fire, because, first and foremost, that he or she is employed as a civil servant. But there are also built-in structures of the national church, which makes it particularly difficult to part with an ’inappropriate’ priest.

– There are built-in difficulties in the management structure, because the only one who can fire the pastor, are ministry. And that all other things being equal, a part to inquiries and complaints up to the level, says associate professor Hans Raun Iversen.

Between the priest and the ministry are respectively passed, and the bishop. They lead a kind of supervision, but do not have the option to dismiss.

– There are examples of the disagreements and problems can be conducted over a whole number of years, either because the staff in the church or the different led covers over each other, or because the bishop does not choose to proceed to the ministry with one or more complaints, says Hans Raun Iversen.

the Priest's three or combustion plant-clauses

Before a priest can be fired ‘in the first blow’ it, he or she has done to be so glaring, that it is at odds with the criminal code. It explains Kristine Garde, there is retsteolog, and as one of the only in Denmark has been deeply engaged in præstesager.

- A priest will never be made redundant in the first blow. So it must be because one is totally out there, where the priest is at odds with the criminal code, for example, by fraud with church funds or something that has a hint of pedophilia, she says.

this review she the articles, the ministry can use to get rid of a ‘troublesome’ or ‘inappropriate’ priest.

the Official must conscientiously comply with the rules applicable to his position, and both inside and outside the service prove worthy of the esteem and confidence, as the post requires.

- It means that a priest has a duty to behave in a manner, which does not go beyond his credibility. There are so a number of complaints or stressful incidents, which give cause to question this – it is also called dekorum - so get the priest in the first instance, a disciplinary sanction. Continues the behavior then, so the management can proceed to the firing.

- In the type of cases is a single case is usually not enough. There waiting for you and gathers the tray. And it is really one of the problems, as priests are not aware of - many rivers small, can make a big y, and then drops the hammer at a time, although it may take longer time. The kind I have seen examples of that.

Upon the recommendation of the dean and the bishop may be communicated to a priest resigned with effect under section 32, if, between the priest and the congregation over a number of years have passed, a profound inconsistency, which means a significant obstacle to ecclesial life well-being at the place in question.

- Section 43-removal can be a lengthy affair. You must be able to prove that long-standing disagreements between the priest and the congregation/ward councils are irreversible, and that it has put kirkelivet dead. The blame is placed not unilaterally by any of the parties. Therefore be awarded the priest the full salary in three years with a view to finding new office in the church. A section 43-removal offers the priest a second chance.

- Paragraph 43 is also called skilsmisseparagraffen, because its purpose is to bring an insoluble samarbejdskonflikt to an end without making the priest responsible.

Officials may be dismissed without an application with 3 months notice to the end of a month. Removal can, however, be made with shorter notice if it is justified by an official as a result of the criminal offence, misconduct or mislighed is unfitted to remain in post.

- Section 28-removal is a tough job. It makes it almost impossible for the priest to be hired in another office, because he/she carries all the blame.

- in Addition to pure breaches refers to the paragraph unfitness to hold a præstejob and/or cooperative caused by the priest. The priest need not have committed it all; in the majority of section 28-matters not talk about the crime, but a combination of the priest's unfitness and the cooperative caused by the priest. A section 28-removal requires highly incriminating evidence against the priest.

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the Extra Leaf has offered the priest to make up for the interview, but the priest did not wish to answer Ekstra question. The priest and his advisor have proposed a number of conditions and requirements to participate in an interview, which Ekstra Bladet has not wanted to meet.

Violation in the parish

the Extra Leaf has the choice to anonymize the priest, since the magazine is informed by multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, that the priest and the many complaints against him are being investigated in the Copenhagen Diocese and ecclesiastical affairs.

Despite repeated attempts to get the priest to relate to the criticism he has not wanted to respond on the Extra Magazine in question.

the Newspaper learns that the priest is convinced that there is someone in the church, the ward council, provstiet and the Copenhagen Diocese, joined in a plot against him. There should even be ’forces higher up in the people ecclesiastical hierarchy’, undermining the priest.

the Extra Leaf has been in contact with 13 persons with a close relationship to the church, where the priest belongs to. None of these hills the priest up. Ekstra Bladet learns, however, that there should be a person in the ward council, which supports the priest. We have tried to get a comment from him, but she has not answered our calls.

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Read more priest-stories here Past day Several complaints against the well-known priest: sexual Harassment and threats Past day the President of the complaint against the priest: - Sexually offensive Past day the Boy about the priest: - He touched our breasts Past day the Priest picked by konfirmandundervisning Past day Funeral conversation about the dead child: The priest talked about incest Past day the Priest is accused of sexual harassment and threats: the Ministry is closing in Past day Udskældt priest spent over a half a million at the parsonage

Updated: 11.02.2020 06:00