Lynn is innocent and a victim of excessive zeal on the part of the District Attorney's Office, his attorney, Jeff Lindy, said after his arrest. Lindy could not be reached Sunday for comment.
Victim advocates who rallied during the weekend said they were relieved by the charges against Lynn and cautious in their hope that more church leaders who had hidden abusers would be punished.
"I hope that this ripples across the country," said David Lorenz, director of the Maryland chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
Lorenz and others marched in front of the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul on Sunday night, holding photographs of people who had committed suicide after being abused. It was the second rally there in two days.
Lorenz said church leaders had allowed the priest who abused him, a counselor at his Catholic high school, to keep his post despite 50 previous abuse reports.
"What were you thinking? It's the one question I want an answer to," he said.
Barbara Blaine, president of the network, said Lynn's removal was significant.
"At the same time, I think it's really important to recognize that Msgr. Lynn was following the policies of the archdiocese."
Donna Farrell, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said it had taken nine days to remove Lynn because, after his arrest, "he had taken some time away from the parish . . . and it was not until this week that he would have been returning. Personnel changes like this take a bit of time."
During his suspension, he will be refraining from public ministry, she said.
Parishioners at St. Joseph were told at Masses during the weekend that Cardinal Justin Rigali had named Msgr. Joseph C. McLoone parochial administrator pro tem of the parish. (McLoone is the brother of Pat McLoone, Daily News managing editor.)
