BOSTON -- The Vatican announced Tuesday that it has defrocked another priest accused in the clergy sex abuse crisis.

According to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Boston, the former priest, identified as Robert Vincent Meffan, is no longer a priest as of May 20, 2004.

According to the Holy See, Meffan "is no longer to be referred to as a priest nor to exercise sacramental ministry as he does not have the faculties of the Church."

Meffan, 75, was accused of molesting several girls who were studying to become nuns. He was suspended for the last 11 years.

Meffan allegedly persuaded the girls to perform sex acts as a way of progressing with their religious studies.

His actions were described in letters from Sr. Catherine Mulkerrin to her boss, the Rev. John McCormack, who was a top aide to Cardinal Bernard Law and is now bishop of the Diocese of Manchester, N.H.

Meffan allegedly described himself as "the second coming of Christ" and encouraged the girls to "be brides of Christ."

The Vatican's action comes only a month after it defrocked two other former priests, Paul Shanley, 73, and Ronald Paquin, 60, both of whom were charged with raping boys. Paquin is serving time for raping an altar boy after he pleaded guilty last December and was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.

Paquin admitted to the crimes that occurred in Haverhill, Mass., between 1989 and 1992, beginning when the victim was 13 years old. The prosecutor in his case spoke about 40 to 50 incidents of rape and sexual abuse on a boy who looked upon the priest as a surrogate father.

Shanley's defrocking last month meant he will no longer be able to minister and will not be eligible for financial support or benefits from the archdiocese. He pleaded not guilty to raping Paul Ford, Paul Busa and two other men at a Newton, Mass., parish during the 1980s. He is free on $300,000 bail and is scheduled to face trial in October.