fbpx

Stella Maris journalist Christine Niles has posted an update on the case of Fr. Carlos Martins, CC, who was charged with battery last week following an incident that took place at a parish in Joliet, Illinois on November 21 of last year. Martins, a priest of the Companions of the Cross order, was visiting the parish as part of a long-running tour of a relic of St. Jude. He is also a well-known and outspoken exorcist, starring in a podcast called The Exorcist Files, and authoring a book of the same name.

Niles published a letter from Martins’s lawyer, Marcella Burke, which said that he pleads not guilty to the charges and denies the details of the incident provided by the witnesses.

This morning Fr. Martins pled not guilty to charges lodged against him for battery. These charges are egregious and unfounded. The evidence will show that Fr. Carlos did not batter anyone. He did not put anyone’s hair in his mouth, let alone “floss” with a student’s hair or “growl” among other completely false and repulsive accusations this remains a takedown of a good priest and an attempted shakedown of the Church. We are confident in the legal process and look forward to our client being fully exonerated. We will continue to vigorously defend his rights and reputation.

The references to Martins putting the girl’s hair in his mouth, flossing with it, and growling, seem to be references to the witness reports from the police investigation, which has apparently not been released to the public.

Burke’s letter also offered a teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2477):

Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:

    • of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
    • of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;
    • of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

With that in mind, please pray for all involved, for the truth to be revealed, and for justice to be done.


Image: “Will County Courthouse” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by jimmywayne


Discuss this article!

Keep the conversation going in our SmartCatholics Group! You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.


Liked this post? Take a second to support Where Peter Is on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!

Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast.

Share via
Copy link