A small California community in shock after its beloved pastor was suspended over allegations of homosexual predation.
The case, involving abuse of young men, with evidence of at least one suicide, is exposing homosexuality and financial corruption in the Fresno diocese, under a bishop who appeared to look the other way.
Yet remarkably, the community is protecting its priest.
Hello, I’m Michael Voris. Welcome to this special report, where we’ll look at the case of Msgr. Craig Harrison, an over-the-top popular priest in Bakersfield, California, now on leave after multiple men claim are coming forward accusing him of sexually abusing them.
Harrison is a favorite son in Bakersfield, born and raised there, a priest for more than three decades, pastor at St. Francis Church for 20 years, chaplain to the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Even a building and street are named after him, as well as being a prolific fundraiser for the diocese.
Unusually, Harrison adopted four boys and has legal guardianship over another four, many whom he met when he ran a home for troubled teens in poorer towns of Merced and Firebaugh.
The most disturbing allegations come from his time living with these troubled youth.
Stephen Brady, who has made something of a career rooting out homopredators was recently in Bakersfield.
“It’s totally inappropriate for a priest to adopt children,” said Brady. “And Fr. Harrison has a lot of money around him — different people donating vehicles to him, all the money he’s soliciting, for helping these boys, these troubled kids, if you will, and that whole scenario reeks of corruption, because what bishop in their right mind would allow a priest to adopt several children?”
Harrison had won an award for his foster care work, getting large donations helping young men get off the street and away from a life of drugs or prostitution.
But accusers say he preyed on the very boys he promised to help, using his foster care service to single out vulnerable young men — and use them for sex.
Read more at Church Militant