Gay Alcoholic Abused
Archdiocese suspends priest and issues apology to Foley who is in gay alcohol rehab
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By Scott Travis
October 21, 2006
That’s something we would not even bring to his attention until after he is out of his treatment
The Archdiocese of Miami apologized to Mark Foley on Friday and launched an investigation into allegations that a priest serving at his Lake Worth parish 40 years ago sexually abused the disgraced former congressman.
The Rev. Anthony Mercieca, 69, was suspended by the archdiocese Friday, preventing him from performing priestly duties anywhere, including the Mediterranean Republic of Malta, where he now resides.
Church officials also have asked the pastors at all eight South Florida churches Mercieca served to make announcements at this Sunday’s service urging any other possible victims to come forward. Mercieca served as assistant or associate pastor in parishes from Homestead to North Palm Beach from 1965 to 2002.
Victims can also call the assistance coordinator at 866-802-2873.
Church officials said they will invite Foley to meet with them to discuss the case and help him in his recovery.
‘While it was long in coming, with God’s merciful grace this painful revelation can be the beginning of reconciliation and an instrument of redemption and healing for Mr. Foley,’ the archdiocese said in a statement.
Gerald Richman, Foley’s civil lawyer, called the church’s response ‘an appropriate way’ to deal with the situation. He didn’t know if Foley would want to meet with church officials. Foley has been in an alcohol rehabilitation center for the past month.
‘That’s something we would not even bring to his attention until after he is out of his treatment,’ he said.
Foley, 52, a Republican from Fort Pierce, resigned from Congress last month after his sexually explicit e-mails to young male pages surfaced.
His lawyers told the State Attorney’s Office this week that Mercieca had sexually abused Foley as a child. Mercieca was a young priest, and Foley was a 13-year-old altar boy at Sacred Heart in Lake Worth. Foley is not pursuing criminal charges.
Mercieca retired in 2002 but still performed Mass and some ceremonial functions in the small Maltese island of Gozo. He will not be able to serve as a priest in any capacity, at least until the investigation is complete, said Mary Ross Agosta, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Miami.
Mercieca denies having sex with Foley but said the two skinny-dipped and sat naked in saunas and hotel rooms on overnight trips.
He said he also touched Foley at least one time. The incidents happened between 1966 and 1967.
His statements prompted the church to take immediate action, Agosta said.
‘I think the statements we heard were shocking and disheartening,’ she said. ‘Clearly, any time the archdiocese receives reports or allegations of any kind of sexual abuse with minors, we have a very clear policy on what we need to do. After hearing Father’s comments in the media, we determined the allegations were credible.’
A five-member committee made up of lay members in the church will interview those involved and present findings to Archbishop John Favalora, Agosta said. Mercieca could permanently lose all rights to serve as a priest, she said. Officials said he probably would not lose his pension.
Although Mercieca talked to many reporters on Thursday, he couldn’t be reached Friday.
‘My take is that he has probably left Gozo,’ said Herman Grech, a staff writer for the Times of Malta newspaper. ‘Loads of reporters are outside his house, but there is no sign of him whatsoever.’
Officials from the Gozo Diocese said Thursday they would conduct an investigation. It is unclear whether their efforts will be separate from the Miami Archdiocese.
Gozo Diocese officials couldn’t be reached Friday afternoon.
A.W. Richard Sipe, a psychotherapist and former monk, has criticized the way the church has handled abuse allegations in the past. Sipe said the archdiocese has handled the case properly, but had no other choice.
‘The publicity surrounding this makes it pretty urgent to act responsibly and not try to deny things,’ he said.
‘But you have to look at what has moved the church to act. Has it been some internal reform movement among bishops and priests? No, it’s been primarily the press, victims and civil suits.’
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