Father Crow's Marital Status Revealed
Father Alexander Crow, the Alabama priest who fled to Europe with an 18-year-old girl, has reportedly married her according to local media reports and Alabama public records. While the state recognizes their marriage, the Catholic Church does not, as Crow is still considered a cleric and clerics are prohibited from validly contracting marriage. The Archdiocese of Mobile has stated that Crow will never function as a priest again and is pursuing laicization at the Vatican. The attempted marriage may be used as a basis for laicization, and the archdiocese is unlikely to make any additional formal statements regarding the marriage. The legal consequences for Crow include being unable to function as a priest and incurring a latae sententiae suspension. The archdiocese may also face questions about their knowledge of Crow's misconduct and whether his departure to Europe could have been prevented.