Archdiocese of Miami: Pastor of Saint James Catholic Church fathers child

By RAPHAEL PIRES, SAMANTHA BRANCA, TAVARES JONES

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    NORTH MIAMI, Florida (WSVN) — The Archdiocese of Miami announced the pastor of a South Florida church has learned he fathered a child.

“Oftentimes, we pay for our consequences of the wrong that we had done, but there is salvation,” said Monsignor Chanel Jeanty from video recorded in 2016.

The words of Jeanty from back in August of 2016 were recorded as he asked the parishioners of Saint James Catholic Church in North Miami to forgive vandals that damaged the church.

Five and a half years later, he’s asking parishioners to forgive him.

According to the Archdiocese of Miami, Monsignor Chanel Jeanty, pastor of Saint James Catholic Church, fathered a child from a relationship that ended over a year ago.

The news was made public on Tuesday but the Archdiocese of Miami and the pastor were made aware of the situation in late December.

The Archdiocese of Miami released a statement reading in part, “Monsignor Chanel Jeanty has already sought God’s forgiveness and he is asking for the forgiveness of his parishioners, who will be disappointed when they learn of his lapse.”

Parishioners came to the defense of Monsignor Chanel Jeanty.

One Parishioner said that he has been asking for forgiveness, which was heard throughout the day.

“We are human, we can all make mistakes, and we are willing to forgive Monsignor because he’s always there for everybody and he always tries to do his best,” said parishioner Marie Pierre.

It’s a message members of Saint James Catholic Church are no strangers to.

South Florida saw a similar situation back in 2009, when another priest made headlines accused of breaking his vow of celibacy.

Albert Cutié, the pastor of Saint Frances Desalas Catholic Church in Miami Beach, admitted to having a two-year relationship with a woman, after pictures of him shirtless on the beach surfaced on a Spanish tabloid.

He’s now a married Episcopal priest.

In the case of Msgr. Chanel Jeanty, he apparently plans to remain a Catholic priest.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese made an additional statement late Tuesday afternoon:

“The most important word here is forgiveness … It is Msgr. Chanel Jeanty’s prayer and hope that what he has been able to teach and have the St. James Catholic Church parishioners experience forgiveness, this now will be extended to him,” said Mary Ross Agosta, Archdiocese of Miami communications director.

“I know he is a good father,” said Canton Exalus.

A longtime parishioner, Exalus said he is ready to forgive.

“As far as I know, he’s a good person,” said Exalus.

“Yes, he deserves to be forgiven. He is doing a very, very good work in this palace, since he came over here. Nobody has had any complaints, because he does the best he can do as a priest,” said Pierre.

Jeanty resigned from his position of Chancellor and Vicar General within the archdiocese, although he will remain as the Pastor at Saint Catholic James Church.

Archdiocese of Miami officials said the information did not come from the mother of the child but from another source. The pastor has since reached out to the mother of his child and plans on supporting the child.

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