‘He controlled my life’: New Orleans archdiocese ignored woman’s claims before priest’s abrupt dismissal

Anthony Odiong - who gave anti-LGBTQ+ sermons - had detailed allegations abuse filed against him before his removal

A Louisiana Catholic priest's sudden dismissal from the church where he had been a popular pastor for the last several years has set off a fresh scandal in the embattled New Orleans archdiocese, the second-oldest in the US.

As they tell it, local church leaders rescinded Anthony Odiong's invitation to serve as a cleric in the region due to unspecified concerns ... about [his] ministry prior" to his arrival in the archdiocese - and quite possibly during his time" there. As a result, the New Orleans archbishop, Gregory Aymond, told Odiong's bishop in Nigeria to recall him to his home diocese as soon as possible to address these concerns", officials said in a statement.