“Suspended Alabama Priest Accused of Marrying 18-Year-Old Woman He Fled to Italy With, Faces Dismissal from Priesthood”
A stunning twist has emerged in the case of Father Alex Crow, a 30-year-old Catholic priest in south Alabama who fled to Italy with an 18-year-old woman this summer. According to state records and an archbishop, Crow is now accused of marrying the young woman.
The marriage certificate was filed on Monday in Mobile County, confirming the union between Crow and the 18-year-old. The woman is a recent graduate of McGill-Toolen High School, and the certificate indicates that she turned 18 in June. Crow, who was not an employee at the school but occasionally visited theology classes there, left the country with the teen in late July.
Following the news of the civil marriage, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi announced that he had suspended Crow and barred him from acting, dressing, or presenting himself as a priest. He later stated that he saw no way for Crow to return to the priesthood and anticipated that the Vatican would eventually laicize him.
The district attorney in Mobile County had also launched an investigation into criminal wrongdoing in the pair’s relationship. However, earlier this month, the district attorney announced that the investigation had been closed after the young woman declined to answer questions during a meeting with an attorney.
The shocking revelation has sent shockwaves through the Catholic community in Alabama, adding to recent scandals involving priests. This news comes on the heels of another scandal in Ohio, where Catholic dioceses spent at least $1.7 million to fight Issue 1, only to lose in their efforts.
The Archdiocese of Mobile issued a statement regarding the recent development, stating that the news of Crow’s civil marriage only confirms the Archbishop’s judgment. Crow now faces imminent dismissal from the priesthood, as the church grapples with the fallout from another controversial case involving a priest sentenced to life for sex trafficking boys and manipulating opioid addictions.