Greater Manchester Police says it has been given permission to charge Canon Mortimer Stanley, 82, in connection with allegations of abuse at Rochdale school.
The priest is now living in Ireland after he retired from St Vincent de Paul RC Church in Greater Manchester.
He was first questioned by police about the accusations, made by women who were under 14 at the time of the alleged offences, last year.
The Crown Prosecution Service has now outlined 17 charges of indecent assault against the clergyman.
It is claimed the offences took place between 1977 and 2002.
The priest has already travelled to Manchester twice in the past to speak to police about the allegations, but it is now claimed that officers are considering instigating extradition proceedings.
The Manchester Evening News claims it has spoken to a source close to the investigation who suggested police were now taking legal advice.
In a statement last year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford said: "The Diocese is co-operating fully with the police and the statutory agencies in these investigations in line with the robust safeguarding policies put in place by the Church in this country in recent years."
Canon Mortimer Stanley denies all of the charges against him.