Catholic priest sued for sending unsolicited nudes to male church worker
By Will Stroude
Monsignor Larry McGovern, of the Church of the Presentation in Stockton, California, has been suspended following allegations that he sent unsolicited, intimate photos to a male worker at his church.
The priest has been sued for sexual harassment by the church worker, who’s identity is still unknown – but according to reports in Gay Star News, he “worked as the church’s pool and landscape maintenance man.”
According to reports, McGovern sent the explicit texts in July to the unnamed man, who, according to his lawyer Vince Finaldi, the confronted the priest, asking about his obligation to remain celibate.
Finaldi told American news channel Fox40 that McGovern responded to questions about his celibacy by saying: “Oh, that just means you’re not married”.
The victim was then allegedly fired from his job, with the lawsuit filed shortly after.
The local Diocese has since released a statement, saying, “Today the Diocese of Stockton learned for the first time of employment related allegations against Monsignor Lawrence McGovern, the Pastor of Presentation Parish in Stockton.
“In accordance with the Canon Law of the Church, Bishop Stephen Blaire has placed Monsignor McGovern on administrative leave pending a full and complete investigation.”
Meanwhile, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Fancis, recently described teaching children that gender is self-identified as “terrible”, adding that trans-inclusive teaching was “ideological colonizing”.
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