NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
NFL long snapper Jake McQuaide was escorted out of a church in Ohio by police over the weekend after he confronted a member of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati during Mass over allegations that a priest used a parish-owned computer to access pornography.
The incident unfolded at Our Lady of the Visitation in Green Township on Saturday when Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams addressed parishioners during Mass regarding the recent accusations against the Rev. Martin Bachman, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Williams read a letter from Archbishop Robert Casey in which he said all concerns “have been investigated, and no wrongdoing either criminally or ecclesiastically has been substantiated” against Buchman or the parish’s pastor, Don Siciliano.
“Furthermore, recent rumors, for which no corroborating facts have been uncovered, are unsubstantiated,” the letter continued. “Rumors which quickly spiral out of control have the potential to severely harm the good reputation which each of us should enjoy. Consequently, like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature.”
Casey noted that the Green Township Police Department confirmed to the archdiocese that there was “no evidence or investigation of criminal wrongdoing by Fr. Bachman.” The letter also noted there are no ongoing “ecclesiastical investigations.”
But during Williams’ address, McQuaide stood up from his pew to demand more clarity.
“Please take a second. We want to put these rumors to rest. Can you answer this for me, fact or fiction?” McQuaide was heard saying in a video obtained by WCPO. Someone in the video is heard responding, “This is not the time for this,” but McQuaide continues.
“I’m sorry, sir, this is the time and the place. I will stand up.”
STEFON DIGGS SHOWS UP AT VOLUNTARY PATRIOTS PRACTICE AFTER VIRAL BOAT VIDEO SPARKS CONTROVERSY
Officers with the Green Township Police Department are seen escorting McQuaide out of the church. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, police were asked by the archdiocese to attend Mass in the event of disruptions.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Capt. Mitch Hill said McQuaide “was escorted out at the specific direction of the church” and that he was not arrested or charged with any crime. Hill also noted that Bachman “has not been the target of an investigation by this department” and that Green Township police have not been asked to investigate any matters involving him.
One parishioner told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he filed a complaint with the archdiocese after allegedly seeing images on the parish computer “that included thumbnail links to adult pornography sites and other sites with explicit content.” While the man said the images appear legal, he believed they violated parish rules.
In his letter, Casey said Bachman will take a “previously planned sabbatical” in July.
McQuaide, 37, is currently a free agent after spending last season with three teams, including most recently the Miami Dolphins. He spent the majority of his 14-year career in the NFL playing for the now-Los Angeles Rams, with whom he was a two-time Pro Bowler. He also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article here
