A disgraced priest from Alabama has been stripped of his priesthood by the Pope after fleeing to Italy and marrying a teenager.
The Archdiocese of Mobile has “received notice that Alex Crowe’s canonization has been completed and is effective immediately.”
Crowe, 30, had previously asked to be stripped of the priesthood. This request was recently granted by Pope Francis.
Mobile Archbishop Thomas J. Roddy supported Crowe’s laity, the process by which a person in the Catholic Church is formally removed from service.
Crow no longer has the “privileges and responsibilities of the priesthood.” The former pastor did not appeal during his removal proceedings.
Crowe met his current wife while she attended McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile. He was a frequent visitor to give guest lectures to students.
The archdiocese became aware of Crowe’s suspicious courtship after local police obtained a Valentine’s Day love letter he had sent to a teenage boy.
“First of all, I love you and I thank Jesus every day for you.” You have made my life both astronomically complex and incredibly good at the same time. I did. You are his gift to me,” read part of his letter to the boy.
Archbishop Roddy condemned the relationship at the time, saying Crowe’s behavior was “totally unbecoming of a priest.” Among other issues, priests in the Catholic Church are ordered to remain celibate.
It further stated that recently ordained pastors “may no longer perform priestly services, may no longer tell people that they are priests, and may no longer dress as priests.”
Last summer, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Birch said he believed “some sort of grooming was going on” between Crowe and his teenage wife. “Much older adults are interacting with teenage girls in inappropriate ways.”
Before the sheriff’s statement, Crowe had fled to Europe with a young lover. He told people he was about to cross the Atlantic Ocean to perform exorcisms throughout Europe.
Reportedly, Crowe had long been interested in demonology.
The two married in Alabama after returning from overseas.
Crowe married the Mobile teenager on Nov. 17, according to a notarized Alabama marriage certificate from the probate judge’s office.
Local police said Crowe, who claimed to have undergone an exorcism as a child, told his girlfriend that Jesus had told her to leave with him.
Ultimately, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office said that although prosecutors had interviewed 30 witnesses and reviewed “thousands of pages of documents” provided by the archdiocese, “the He explained that he did not intend to press charges regarding the matter.
“When the young woman and the priest returned, we summoned the young woman to meet with us in our office to find out what happened and whether there was any criminal activity.” says the office’s statement.
“She appeared to be in good health and said she was safe.
“However, she was accompanied by a lawyer and both refused to answer any questions about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance in July.
“As we are unable to speak to the young woman about these events, there is insufficient evidence to charge a crime at this time. Therefore, this investigation is now closed.”
Church officials said they learned of the disgraced priest’s return through the media, as he had not communicated with the church since his suspension.
“While Crowe’s actions are scandalous, the archdiocese has no information indicating that Crowe committed any crime,” the statement said.
“The archdiocese will continue to cooperate fully as law enforcement continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Crowe’s actions.”
“Once law enforcement has completed their investigation into Crow, the Archdiocese appreciates their thorough and thoughtful consideration of this matter.”
“Crow’s sudden departure has caused scandal, hurt and confusion within the archdiocese. We continue to pray for God’s grace to bring healing to all through this situation.”
The couple returned after a lawyer for the girl’s family claimed Crowe had lost contact with her while in Rome.
Attorney Christine Hernandez said the girl’s communication with the outside world was “restricted.”
Other parents have also reported disturbing incidents involving Crowe and his children during trips to school and church, including Crowe paying some students to attend his confessionals. He said that his request included a request for him to be present and learn the details of the crime.
The unlocked cleric, who was first ordained in 2021, previously attended Sant’Anselmo in Rome, Italy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and studied demons and exorcism. was.