New Orleans archbishop quietly lobbied to release priest convicted of sex abuse: report

A New Orleans archbishop secretly pushed for the early release of a jailed priest who had been convicted of sexually abusing an altar boy, according to a new report.

Records uncovered by the Guardian show archbishop Gregory Aymond approved the early release of disgraced priest Robert Melancon, according to the report.

“Dear Bobby,” Aymond wrote in a note to Melancon, according to the Guardian. “I join you in the prayer to Our Lady to guide those regarding your appeal to make a positive decision.

“Be assured of my deep respect for you, appreciation for your many years of ministry and for your life of faith that you continue to live now.”

These documents came to light after the death of Melancon's accuser, who spent the last two years of his life hounded by requests from church representatives to support his abuser's release, the Guardian reports.

"The records in question make clear that the effort to free Melancon involved overtures by affiliates of the archdiocese of New Orleans to the highest levels of government: to the warden of the prison where the convicted rapist was incarcerated, to the director of Louisiana’s department of corrections, and to the state’s governor himself," the Guardian's report stated.

Melancon died in prison in 2018 at age 82, but the records show the archdiocese of New Orleans' privately lobbied for his release.

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Other records reviewed by The Guardian show the extent the archdiocese has gone to over the decades to protect abusive clergymen.

In a statement, New Orleans church officials said Aymond "had no role in requesting or advocating the department of corrections for the temporary release of Robert Melancon for medical reasons in accord with the department’s health care policy.

"Archbishop Aymond initially considered allowing Melancon to be housed at [an archdiocesan-run nursing home named] Wynhoven under certain conditions but ultimately decided against allowing Melancon to live in an archdiocesan facility," the statement continued.

The church’s statement also claimed a letter that Aymond sent to Melancon expressing support for an early release was “a corporal work of mercy” consistent with the archbishop’s “pastoral ministry to a dying prisoner."

Read the full report over at the Guardian.