The archdiocese declined to release a list of the priests or detail the accusations against them. But The Inquirer and other news organizations began identifying them on websites Wednesday afternoon.
Church officials chose to inform only the "affected communities," the parishes in which the priests served. Consequently, many of the faithful arrived at Ash Wednesday services wondering whether their pastors were among those placed on leave.
At the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, Cardinal Justin Rigali, in his homily before nearly 1,000 people, said: "Once again we renew our commitment to make every effort possible to prevent these evil acts and protect children from harm."
The abruptness of the removals was perhaps nowhere more evident than at St. Philomena Church in Lansdowne. There, parishioners learned of their pastor's departure on the same day his Lenten message appeared in the parish bulletin and was posted on its website.
"Happy Lent!" the Rev. Paul A. Castellani wrote. ". . . Lent is an opportunity for us to stop for a few moments and to think how God has worked in our lives, and continues to do so, even when things do not go as we have planned or expected."
Castellani did not return phone calls.
Donna Farrell, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, defended its decision not to make public a list of the priests because the accusations against them "include a wide range of complaints," some of which are unconfirmed or denied by the accused priests.
For that reason, she said, "we are making a public announcement in the affected parishes" where the priests were removed, rather than in all parishes or through the news media.
She stressed that when the cardinal announced the administrative leaves Tuesday, he made clear they were "interim measures, not a final determination or judgment" of guilt.
