Father Mark J. Haynes
Father Mark J. Haynes, 55, an archdiocesan priest and parochial vicar at SS. Simon and Jude Parish in West Chester, was arrested late Wednesday evening, Oct. 22, by Chester County police and charged with six counts of possessing and disseminating child pornography.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia called the charges “serious and disturbing” in a statement Oct. 24. It said Father Haynes has been placed on administrative leave immediately and he no longer resides at SS. Simon and Jude rectory.
The statement said no allegations of sexual abuse of a minor have ever been lodged against the priest, and there were no prior indications he was involved with child pornography.
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“The archdiocese is cooperating fully with law enforcement regarding this matter and remains fervently committed to preventing child abuse as well as protecting the children and young people entrusted to its care,” the statement read. “Child pornography is a scourge that must be eradicated.”
While on administrative leave, Father Haynes is not permitted to exercise public ministry, administer any of the sacraments, or present himself publicly as a priest.
He remains in Chester County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of bail set at $200,000.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said in a statement that county detectives traced Father Haynes’ Instagram account as the source of sexually explicit photographs of children posted on the social media website.
“Every person who possesses child pornography is violating the rights and dignity of these young victims,” Hogan said. “Every person who disseminates child pornography is continuing the cycle of depravity that makes children around the world vulnerable. No matter whether you are rich or poor, young or old, clergy or layperson, the possession of child pornography will lead to arrest, shame and jail.”
Hogan added the investigation in the case is ongoing, and the archdiocese and SS. Simon and Jude Parish are cooperating fully in it.
“Given the number of parishes to which the defendant was assigned and his close proximity to children, we are concerned that other victims are out there'” Hogan said. “Anybody with information should come forward immediately.”
Ordained a priest for the Philadelphia Archdiocese in 1985, Father Haynes has since had the following assignments: St. Ann, Phoenixville (1985-1989); Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Doylestown (1989-1991); chaplain, Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster (1990-1991); Office for Youth and Young Adults (1990-1992); St. John of the Cross, Roslyn (1991-1994); Office of the Metropolitan Tribunal (1992-2001); Our Lady of Good Counsel, Southampton (1994-2000); personal leave (2000-2001); St. Pius X, Broomall (2001-2005); Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Morton (2005-2009); Annunciation B.V.M., Havertown (2009-2013); personal leave (2013); and SS. Simon and Jude, West Chester (2013-2014).
The archdiocese invites anyone wishing to report a violation of “The Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries” to contact the archdiocesan Office for Investigations at 1-888-930-9010.
To report an allegation of sexual abuse, contact your local law enforcement agency and/or the Office for Investigations.
Public notice, the archdiocese said, may be painful to victims of sexual violence and exploitation. To obtain support or assistance with victim services, contact the archdiocesan Victim Assistance Office at 1-888-800-8780 or philavac@archphila.org.
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I can’t help but note the hypocracy of the Archdiocese. When there is an incident involving a member of the clergy, there is administrative leave, and we must wait for an investigation. Meanwhile, all other benefits are still covered.
However, as we saw with the assistant basketball coach at Archbishop Wood High School, when a member of the laity is associated with an incident, the Archdiocese does not delay in stating that the person will never work in the Archdioces again. In the coach’s case, he was not arrested or charged with anything related to the beating of the gay couple but that did not matter to the archdiocese. They were all over the media stating that he would never work in an archdiocesan school again. He lost his job and was never charged with anything.
Here we have a priest arrested and charged with child pornography. Based on what happended to the lay basketball coach, the archdiocese should come out immediately and state in print, radio, and television media that this priest is unfit and will never work in the archdioces again.
The thing is that Protestants & Jews also have problems with clergy child abuse / child porn. My childhood neighbor was arrested for child porn distribution and he was married.
Child sexual abusers and child porn addicts hide in plain site, married, clergy, etc. It doesn’t matter.
Married clergy isn’t the answer to this issue, and I don’t think married clergy will help the Roman Catholic parishes. However, I personally would not be opposed to allowing married Deacons to become priests after X number of years, whether the wife is alive or not.
God Bless
I think priests should be celibate. We are living in a time when very few married couples adhere to the Catholic Church teaching on contraception. Prayer is the answer. Get close to the Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit. We can not give in to the sexual world around us. There is tremendous powers that the Holy Spirit & the Blessed Mother will give us to overcome the temptations of the devil. Love & prayers Paul PS I am praying for Father Haynes.
Who owned the computers and paid for the ISP service being used for these alleged criminal activities? What safeguards are in place (or NOT in place) by the owner of the computer and the payor of the ISP service used by this computer (and others in the residence, facilities, etc.) at the church, rectory and/or school buildings? What type(s) of review and monitoring are in place on a weekly, monthly, etc. basis to scrutinize the computer access and work for just such criminal activity?
A big problem remains with laypeople, and God knows if I am one, who should have answered the call to be priests, and then the church wouldn’t have had such a shortage. I don’t know about Fr. Haynes and he may yet be proven innocent or largely a good priest who had one fall, but it seems there were some who were taken who it’s at least questionable should have been.
And that said, I wish the pope would actually address celibacy in the priesthood. It seems the compromise is to distinguish priests and deacons and the latter can be married. But that leaves such a shortage. I have to wonder too about the length of schooling. Maybe some education can be ongoing. But perhaps there can be 2 levels of full priests. Maybe married priests can be subordinate but still priests.