Priest's charges sadden Bishop

The Bishop of Charlottetown, Richard Grecco,says while he'ssaddened to hear of sex-related charges laid in Newfoundlandagainst a priest who used to work in P.E.I.,he hasn't heard anyallegations from Islanders.

George Ansel Smith, 73, worked on P.E.I. as a church administrator and priest from the mid-90s until 2010.

Smithnow faces dozens of charges, including gross indecency and sexual assault relating to incidents in Newfoundland and Labrador between 1969 and 1989.

RCMPsaid Tuesday the charges are the result of a 16-month investigation.

"I'm sad for the people in the parishes where he served. I'm sad for his brother priests... we place trust in our priests and when this happens, when the allegations were made, you feel a little betrayed and hurt," Grecco said Thursday.

George Ansel Smith had retired from the priesthood when he came to P.E.I. in 1994.

He helped out with administrative duties at St. Dunstan's Bascilica in Charlottetown until November 2009 when he took up temporary duties as a priest at the rural parishes of St. Malachy's in Kinkora and St. Peter's-Seven Mile Bay near Borden.

He was suspended in May 2010.

"It's very disappointing. Certainly not the news we wanted to hear. Not the news anyone around here wanted to hear," saidP.E.I. parishioner Ramona Roberts.

"It's difficult for us to be in the eye of the storm a little bit with this. We happened to be his last stop on P.E.I. so the focus is on us a little bit more," Roberts said. "He wasn't here very long. He seemed like a lovely man."

The Bishop along with RCMP and Charlottetown police say they have not received complaints about Smith on P.E.I.

Grecco sayssteps have been taken on the Island to help prevent abuse from happening.

Parishes now use a screening program, including police checks, for all adults working with children and the elderly.

"So for example in Sunday school classes, two teachers to a class room. In high risk situations, we require a police check. I went immediately for a police check and so did all of the priests," said Grecco.

The Bishop has set up a provincial committee to hear allegations from parishioners of wrong doing by priestsor others working in the church.

"We have a committee set up that if there is a complaint, if it is a criminal nature, it is immediately referred to police and also help is provided through that committee. It might be in terms of counselling or whatever they can do," he said.

Smith has been living in Truro, Nova Scotia since the allegtations surfaced. Now that charges are laid, he's ordered to remain there.