Priest accused of sexual abuse is HIV positive

This is just incredibly sickening. Barring intravenous drug abuse or a tainted transfusion, just how does a priest (who of course takes a vow of chastity) end up with HIV? Who knows how many illicit and unprotected sexual encounters he has had with male prostitutes, while he’s also molesting altar boys. And I’m afraid to ask this, but how many boys has he molested since he became infected?

Fort Worth Catholic officials said Thursday that one of their most notorious predator priests has the virus that causes AIDS and has refused to tell them how long he has been infected.

The officials view the situation with great concern, given that the Rev. Philip Magaldi worked in ministry for many years despite repeated complaints about his conduct with boys and young men.

“This is very troublesome” for Bishop Kevin Vann, spokesman Pat Svacina said. He said the bishop is flying Monday to Rome, where he will urge the Vatican to speed the process – begun in late 2006 – of removing Father Magaldi from the priesthood.

Father Magaldi has denied all wrongdoing, even as the Fort Worth Diocese found him “guilty of sexual exploitation” in one internal investigation and documented several other credible reports of misconduct. He remains free while North Richland Hills police investigate an allegation that he sexually assaulted a boy in the mid-1990s.

Father Magaldi is the second abusive Fort Worth priest to be confirmed HIV-positive. The first was the Rev. James Hanlon, who died in 1990 after battling the virus, alcoholism and liver disease.

Tahira Khan Merritt, a Dallas lawyer who has represented several victims of other Fort Worth priests, said she was not convinced that the diocese learned only recently of Father Magaldi’s HIV status. She noted that church officials previously failed to release documents about another abuser, despite a court order, and left him on duty until late 2006.

You can read the entire stomach-turning story here.