Fr. Jonathan W. Franklin

Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee

(Benedictine)

Ordained: 1956

Death: 1986

Assigned as Follows:

Ascension of Our Lord (Donaldsonville, LA)
St. Gabriel (New Orleans, LA)
St. Mary's Assumption (Cottonport, LA)
St. Anthony (Cottonport, LA)
St. Joseph Church (Tensas, LA)
St. Louis Church (Glenmora, LA)
Holy Trinity (Shreveport, LA)
St. Anne Catholic Church (Pensacola, FL)

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Jonathan Franklin:

Father Jonathan Franklin was ordained as a Benedictine order priest in the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia. According to bishopaccountability.com, Fr. Franklin has had multiple allegations of abuse made against him that stretch over three decades while working in New Orleans, Alexandria, Savannah, Atlanta, Pensacola, and Cullman.

According to the Archdiocese of New Orleans' 2018 clergy report regarding sexual abuse of minors, an allegation against Father Franklin was received in 1959 and referred to abuse that occurred in the late 1950's. It also notes that Franklin was removed from ministry in the Archdiocese that same year. He has also been accused specifically of abuse in Louisiana in 1966 that eventually settled in 2005.

In 1975, Franklin moved to St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama. A decade later, he was arrested for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy in 1985 when he was temporarily assigned to St. Anne's in Pensacola, Florida.

Fr. Franklin committed suicide in August of 1986, just before his trial for sexually assaulting the 12-year-old boy was about to begin.

John W. Franklin has been included on the Baton Rouge diocese's list in 2019, Birmingham diocese's list as of December 14th, 2018, and the Alexandria diocese list on February 6th, 2019 as well. He is also named on the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee 2020 list of priests that have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor or minors.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Florida, contact our office today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Florida and nationwide. We can help.

Fr. Jonathan W. Franklin – Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee