Godwin Scerri dismissed from clerical state

This is the most serious penalty leveled by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

He remains, however, a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul.

Mr Scerri was recently found guilty by the Maltese courts of abusing boys in his care and was jailed five years. He has filed an appeal. The Attorney General is also appealing the magistrate’s decision to acquit Mr Scerri of rape.

He is also wanted by the Ontario provincial police in Canada. Mr Scerri avoided prosecution there two decades ago when he fled to Malta.

When a priest is dismissed from the clerical state, or defrocked, he is automatically relieved of his offices and obligations and barred from celebrating the sacraments.

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Vatican removes MSSP priest from clerical state

Fr Godwin Scerri (left) and Fr Charles Pulis after being sentenced by the courts.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says Godwin Scerriremains MSSP member.

The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has removed convicted child abuser Fr Godwin Scerri from his clerical state, after finding the former priest guilty of child sex abuse charges.

Scerri remains a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul.

Fr Carmelo Pulis and Scerri were jailed for six years and five years respectively following their conviction of sexually abusing boys at St Joseph Home in Sta Venera, Hamrun.

The accused originally stood charged together with a third priest FrJoseph Bonnett who passed away last January, aged 63.

The case was made public when Lawrence Grech, one of the alleged victims, claimed he had been sexually abused whilst residing at St Joseph’s Home in Santa Venera in the late 1980s.

The priests faced accusations by 11 victims, who were then aged between 13 and 16, were resident at St Joseph’s Home in Sta Venera in the late1980s when the abuse took place.

Scerri was however acquitted of violent rape charges due to a flaw in the accusation, which accused him of raping one of the victims at Marfa, when testimonies revealed that the act had taken place in St Joseph’s home.

Scerri was revealed to have had touched or masturbated victims in various instances, either in Marfa, or at the care home. The victim also testified how Scerri would even often give him sweets and money.