ANTI-PERV HERO REV. GETS AXED

Rev. Thomas Doyle, the Roman Catholic priest who has provided the most visible help to victims of clergy sex abuse for the past 18 years, has been fired as an Air Force chaplain by his archbishop and cannot celebrate public Masses.  Also in 1986, the Vatican Embassy in Washington ended his employment as staff canon lawyer after Doyle co-authored a detailed memo sent to the nation's bishops that warned of the molestation crisis.  He became the most outspoken US priest in criticizing the American hierarchy's handling of the scandal.  He has provided victims pastoral counsel and expert legal advise in numerous suits against the church.  

The stated reason was a disagreement over whether military chaplains must provide public Masses every day, but observers charged yesterday that Doyle's advocacy for victims is the underlying reason.