In addition to the alleged misconduct at his seminary, the seminarian has been accused of sexually assaulting an employee of a Knoxville parish. A few days after the announcement of Bishop Richard Stika's resignation from the Diocese of Knoxville, advocates are hosting a press conference to offer commentary, according to the Survivors . Stika also told multiple people that the seminarian was innocent and that the accuser was the aggressor, it says. Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika resigns amid sex abuse lawsuits Bishop Richard Stika speaks during a service on Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Stika, bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, resigned under pressure Tuesday, June 27, 2023, following . Pope Francis accepted Bishop Richard Stika's resignation, according to a one-line statement from the Vatican. And the question they need to get answered is: Why is he so protective of this person?. We want and pray for justice that includes fair compensation for victims.". KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE) A new archbishop has been appointed to temporarily serve as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville after the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika.. Stika, who heads the Diocese of Knoxville, tweeted he . Official website. The one-line statement from the Vatican gave no reason for the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika, who has denied any wrongdoing. according to the Catholic publication The Pillar. Refusing to adore the idols, he suffered many torments with invincible constancy, and at length . KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, 65, has resigned from pastoral governance of the diocese. Bishop Stika resigns | News Headlines | Catholic Culture "I pray it happens going forward. I ask that you pray for Archbishop Fabre as he oversees this diocese in the short term and for your new bishop when he is selected. You dont cross [Stika] without feeling his wrath., The priest said there are also concerns about financial administration in the diocese, and that priests have been reticent to raise those concerns. The deacon's own bishop refused to excardinate, or transfer, him to the Diocese of Knoxville and he was not ordained. News emerged last week on the status of Bishop Rolando Alvarez of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, who has been detained by the government of Nicaragua and imprisoned since February Pope Francis has named Rev. Stika will leave the diocese, carved out in 1988 from the Diocese of Nashville, as its longest-serving bishop. We think its highly significant and an important step for justice and accountability for our client," Thronson said. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. "I've been on vacation for two weeks," the priest said. Co-founder of Road to Recovery, a sex abuse survivors advocacy agency in New Jersey. [21], Anthony D. Punnackal, an Indian priest serving in the diocese, was accused in April 2022 of "one count of sexual battery and one count of sexual battery by an authority figure" during a grief counseling session. He will be assisting me at the Chancery as well as helping the Cardinal with daily activities., In a phone interview April 22, Stika toldThe Pillarthat the seminarian was dismissed for a series of boundary violations which have now been explained, adding that he was satisfied the concern was baseless.. I have survived a heart attack, heart bypass surgery, and I have four heart stents. In December 2019, Stika arranged for Sobczuk to miss over a week of classes to accompany Stika on his ad limina visit to the Vatican. Stika toldThe Pillarthat the diocesan review board is presently reviewing the matter. U.S. Catholic Bishop Resigns After Investigation of Abuse Cover-Up But this silence is inconsistent with the transparency he has promised. Bishop Stika said his desire is to remain in active ministry, but at a slower pace. He plans to return to his hometown of St. Louis along with retired Cardinal Justin Rigali, who has lived with Bishop Stika in Knoxville since the cardinals own retirement as archbishop of Philadelphia in 2011. Check out some of the. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. I recognize that questions about my leadership have played out publicly in recent months. Stika was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville by Pope Benedict XVI on Jan. 12, 2009 and officially took the . The archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky, the Most Reverend Shelton Fabre, was named temporary administrator to run the diocese until a new bishop is installed. [33] He had an angioplasty in 2018. Pope Francis accepted Bishop Richard Stikas resignation, according to a one-line statement from the Vatican. [6], Possessing bi-ritual faculties, Stika can also celebrate the West Syriac Rite Holy Qurbono according to the recension of the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the pope. Clohessy has sounded the alarm about many bishops who have been removed over the years. Vatican accepts early resignation of 65-year-old Bishop Stika of Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. So Im confident that the diocese has approached those things in the right fashion.. Stika has brazenly violated multiple provisions of the pope's key accountability law, Vos Estis Lux Mundi. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika, the embattled leader of the Diocese of Knoxville, following a tumultuous two-year period in which the diocese was subject to. [17] Casey was convicted in July 2011 of first-degree sexual misconduct and two counts of aggravated rape and sentenced to prison. The upheaval culminated in a Vatican investigation last year, according to the Catholic publication The Pillar. The resignation of Bishop Stika was anticipated in a May 13 report by The Pillar in light of a Vatican-ordered investigation of sexual abuse cover-up and financial mismanagement. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. Last month, I was transported to a hospital in East Tennessee for another health issue.. "It is about time that Bishop Richard Stika resigned and relieved the parishioners of the Diocese of . The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. In his statement on the website of the Knoxville diocese, Stika, who has been bishop of Knoxville since 2009, said: "I offer my genuine and heartfelt apology to anyone I have disappointed over the years". For his part, the bishop toldThe Pillarthat he too had acted appropriately. The bishop was unclear about whether the diocesan review board was involved in reviewing the matter in 2019, tellingThe Pillarboth that he had handled it personally and it was never brought to the review board, but also saying that the review board had been consulted, and was satisfied that the allegation had been addressed appropriately. [24] The lawsuit alleged that Stika had intimidated the 2019 rape victim in an attempt to silence him, accusing the victim of raping Sobczuk. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. [3] VATICAN CITY The bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, resigned under pressure Tuesday following allegations he mishandled sex abuse allegations and several of his priests complained about his leadership and behavior, sparking a Vatican investigation. Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website. The detective illegally obtained her employment records and told police that she had committed employment fraud, according to the lawsuit. Embattled Tennessee bishop with St. Louis ties resigns after priest Staff photo / Bishop Richard Stika, Bishop of Knoxville, speaks in 2020 during the first session of a tribunal to consider canonizing Patrick Ryan, a Catholic priest in Chattanooga in the late . Weve had cases of priests accused of less who have been suspended and certainly seminarians dismissed without even having any kind of assault allegations against them, the priest said. (OSV News photo/courtesy Diocese of Knoxville), Were sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. Another lawsuit, filed under a Jane Doe, tells a similar story. Our client deserves full justice, including compensation and an apology for what we allege happened to him. Rigali, who worked with Stika in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, resides in Stikas Knoxville home.]. It will continue. Subscribe. Stika, 65, was investigated by the Vatican for mismanagement of his diocese. Hes a competent leader. I myself was a victim of sexual abuse when I was in high school by a priest, and look at me. He is also named in a 2022 lawsuit (refiled in 2023) accusing him of protecting a seminarian accused of multiple counts of rape. Fabre provided a statement on the transition, asking people to pray for an openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit during this time of transition for the Diocese of Knoxville.. For the sake of the victims harmed by Stika, we urge the pope to publicly condemn Stika's appalling, repeated abuse of his authority., Former executive director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Another suit filed in federal court in 2022 accuses the diocese of misleading the police and otherwise obstructing an investigation into a womans accusation that a priest in the diocese assaulted her. Along with claims of mishandling abuse investigations, the bishop has been dogged by multiple complaints of financial mismanagement, particularly with regard to the building of Knoxvilles Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Bishop Stika has led the small diocese since 2009, when he was appointed to the role by Pope Benedict XVI. Stika said in a statement he resigned because of ongoing health . Susan Vance, Tennessees Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) leader, provided a statement following Stikas retirement, saying he was asked to resign by the Vatican following the investigation. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. BREAKING: Suspected serial killer in Long Island, New York, is in custody, police say. Stika, 65, was investigated by the Vatican for mismanagement of his diocese. Stika, 65, was investigated by the Vatican for mismanagement of his diocese. He arrogantly dismissed allegations, prevented investigations, ignored evidence, retaliated against whistleblowers and vilified victims. They wrote that:[13]. In one, a former employee at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville who uses the pseudonym John Doe accused a seminarian there of harassing and raping him in 2019. More about Ruth Graham, A version of this article appears in print on, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/us/bishop-richard-stika-resigns-vatican.html. Pope Francis accepted the resignation June 27 and also appointed. Stika was briefly archdiocesan vicar for clergy, and for several years oversaw child and youth protection policies in the archdiocese. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE) A group of advocates for child sex abuse victims held a demonstration in front of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Sunday morning. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (OSV News) Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, 65, has resigned from pastoral governance of the diocese. Theres a sense of relief and in one sense, a sense of a kind of positive sense. Stikas departure, after 14 years as bishop of Knoxville, closes a turbulent chapter for the southern U.S. diocese that was marked by a remarkable revolt by some of its priests, who accused Stika of abusing his authority and protecting a seminarian accused of sexual misconduct. Caprese Michelangelo Richard F. Stika celebrates Easter Vigil Mass in April. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Richard Frank Stika (born July 4, 1957) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville in Tennessee from 2009 to 2023. It was not reported by the alleged victim, but by a third party concerned the matter had not been thoroughly investigated. At 65, Stika is 10 years below the normal retirement age for bishops. They are not light matters, and they are being considered seriously, the official said, adding that it is a reasonable expectation that the congregation will grant metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville power to investigate the situation. Richard Stika was born on July 4, 1957, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Frank and Helen (ne Musielak) Stika; his father was of Czech heritage and his mother Polish. Foreign ministers of two dozen countries met in Indonesia on Friday with U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine and North Korean missiles set to dominate talks at Southeast Asia's annual security gathering. Priesthood Stika was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John L. May on December 14, 1985, for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The day after the seminarian was dismissed from his seminary, Stika told priests in an email that he had entered a two-year period of discernment. Stikas resignation validates the voices of the whistleblowers and, as a result, truth gains energy in Knoxville and throughout the Catholic Church, Connell wrote to Knox News in an emailed statement. The seminarian at the centre of the accusation lived with Stika and a retired American cardinal. And we think the public deserves more transparency as it relates to investigating survivors' allegations and bishop behavior. [16] It was also noted that he suffered from diabetes for decades and had experienced a heart attack, heart bypass surgery and a diabetic coma that resulted in vision loss in one eye. 7 signs youre not ready to fully receive Gods word, Why Some Catholics Love to Hate-Read Ross Douthat, Exclusive interview: Cardinal Hollerich on how synodality has developedand how involved Pope Francis has been. Job Board Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Knoxville Bishop Rick Stika Bishop Stika, 65, was investigated by the Vatican for mismanagement of his diocese. Former Catholic Diocese of Knoxville Staff members, Marcy Meldahl and Dave Wells, joined Hallerin to discuss Bishop Stika's tenure and resignation. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan. [3] The village is roughly 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of Florence. Such investigations, known as apostolic visitations, are rare, formal examinations of leadership that can be prompted by a wide range of possible offenses, including theological disagreements and financial mismanagement. People disagree with Jesus, you know?. Bp. [28] The seminarians at St. Meinrad who had accused Sobczuk of harassing and assaulting them were never interviewed. The Vatican sent investigators to the diocese last year after various allegations against Stika. Franco Agostinelli was born on 1 January 1944 in Arezzo, a comune in Tuscany, Italy. Earlier this week, the diocese of Tyler, Texas, confirmed that the Vatican had also opened an investigation there. Catholics all across East Tennessee woke up to the news that Bishop Richard Stika had resigned, a seismic shift in church leadership that was beginning to look inevitable the longer Stika hung on. I would be less than honest if I didnt admit that some of this has weighed on me physically and emotionally. Knoxville Catholics lost their bishop this week and gained an apostolic administrator after Bishop Richard Stika announced Pope Francis had accepted his resignation June 27. [28] Sobczuk continued to live in the episcopal residence and in September 2021 accompanied Stika on a 10-day vacation. It was all followed exactly, Im not covering anything up, he added. [22], A lawsuit filed against Stika and the Diocese of Knoxville in February 2021 alleged that in February 2019 Wojciech Sobczuk, a Polish seminarian whom Stika had invited to study in the diocese on the recommendation of Cardinal Stanisaw Dziwisz in 2018,[23] had raped and sexually harassed an organist employed by Sacred Heart Cathedral. Mahpiya Luta | Red Cloud is seeking a passionate, committed leader to serve as its next president. James Martin Sep 20, 2019 By CNA Staff After the Archbishop of Philadelphia. [12], In 2021, 11 priests of the Diocese of Knoxville, roughly 20 percent of the presbyterate, feeling that they had exhausted all alternative courses of action, wrote to the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, requesting of the Holy See "merciful relief" from Stika's leadership. Doe, identified as a Honduran immigrant seeking asylum in the United States accused a priest in the diocese of locking her in a room and assaulting her after she came to him for grief counseling in 2020. ST. DONATUS, BISHOP OF AREZZO IN TUSCANY, M. - e-Catholic 2000 Pope Francis accepted Bishop Richard Stikas resignation, according to a one-line statement from the Vatican. Twitter@tyler_whetstone. Bishop Stika is just very fond of him. The suit said that Bishop Stika fired an investigator appointed by the diocese to look into the case, and that the bishop defamed and tried to intimidate the musician. In terms of the priests, anytime youre in leadership, you have to make decisions. Stika facing likely 'Vos estis' Vatican investigation Bishop Richard Stika during a vespers service in Knoxville, Tenn., in 2019. U.S. Catholic bishop resigns after investigation of abuse cover-up The official said the complaints were serious and included seemingly questionable living arrangements made by Stika to accommodate the seminarian following his departure from seminary. Pope Francis accepted the resignation June 27 and also appointed Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, as apostolic administrator of Knoxville until a new bishop is appointed and installed. [5] Stika selected as his episcopal motto: Iesu Confido In Te ("Jesus, I Trust in You"). The Tyler diocese is headed by Bishop Joseph Strickland, a combative conservative firebrand who is critical of Pope Francis and known for weighing in on culture-war disputes across the country. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [1] The third of four children, he has three brothers, Lawrence, Robert, and Joseph. The optics are bad on this, he conceded. It is the birthplace of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. Copyright 2023 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. [1] He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. After he was dismissed from the seminary, the seminarian moved into the episcopal residence shared by Stika and retired Cardinal Justin Rigali. And a lawsuit is just one side of the story. Pope Francis accepted Stikas resignation, the diocese said, appointing Most Reverend Shelton Fabre, Archbishop of Louisville, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville until the installation of a new bishop. The rise and fall of Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika If he makes a decision and thats criticized, hes going to have to carry that water, so to speak, and hes capable of doing that.. The one-line statement from the Vatican gave no reason for the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika, who has denied any wrongdoing. He said Stikas behavior stands out because his decisions to bully and intimidate alleged victims and his general demeanor were consistent choices, not one-off instances. Catholic universities must not recoil from the daunting risks of artificial intelligence but become proactively involved in its ethical development, said the head of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. The Vatican has received multiple allegations of administrative misconduct against Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, and is expected to authorize an investigation under the terms ofVos estis lux mundi,The Pillarhas learned. Those years have been detrimental to priestly fraternity and even to our personal well-being, the letter states. Knoxville Bishop Resigns Amid Turmoil A senior Vatican curial official close to the Congregation for Bishops toldThe Pillarthis week that the congregation had received about 10 accusations against Stika, and that they were being reviewed. A separate lawsuit filed in April 2022 accuses Bishop Stika of failing to discipline Father Antony Punnackal, a Carmelite of Mary Immaculate, who was arrested in January 2022 for sexually assaulting a grieving parishioner who had sought spiritual counseling two years earlier. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Finally, I humbly ask that you please pray for me.. One source said the seminarian was frequently dishonest with other seminarians. The Pillar reported that in 2021, 11 priests in the diocese made an unusual complaint to Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Popes representative to the United States, asking for merciful relief from Bishop Stikas leadership, citing accusations of dishonesty, intimidation and misuse of power. In May 2021, Bishop Stika confirmed to The Pillar he had removed an investigator appointed to the case by the diocesan review board, saying the former law enforcement professional was past his prime and declaring Sobczuks innocence. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Sometimes people dont always agree, from the Pope on down. IE 11 is not supported. A Knoxville priest toldThe Pillarhe believes that Stika has impeded or restricted investigations into the seminarians misconduct, even after the diocesan review board recommended a formal investigation this month. Stika coordinated Pope John Paul II's visit to St. Louis in 1999. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Richard Stika, the bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, resigned following allegations that he had mishandled sexual abuse allegations, the diocese announced Tuesday. In addition to the priests complaints, Stika is the subject of at least two lawsuits that accuse him of mishandling sexual abuse allegations and seeking to silence the accusers. The bishop allegedly used diocesan funds to cover Sobczuks tuition at St. Louis University, where the former seminarian enrolled following his dismissal from the seminary, according to a Knoxville News-Sentinel article cited by The Pillar. He was ordained a priest on 9 June 1968 by Telesforo Giovanni Cioli, the Bishop of Arezzo, in the Parish of San Marco alla Sella after studying at the seminary of Arezzo. [Photo above: Stika poses with Cardinal Justin Rigali on the cover of his 2017 Christmas card. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Richard F. Stika from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Knoxville. Knoxville, TN Bishop Stika releases statement; Pope appoints apostolic [18] The Vatican laicized Casey on January 10, 2013. That is frustrating.. Andrei Troshev: who is Wagner mercenary Putin wants to replace Prigozhin? Co-director ofbishopaccountability.org, an online public library of information about the Roman Catholic clergy abuse crisis. According to the suit, Father Mankel told the alleged victim it was part of Father Mankels Love Therapy which evolved into Touch Therapy., The alleged victim said he, was told touching was supposed to help him work through the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental pain caused by those who loved him most., Previous Coverage: Lawsuit: Diocese of Knoxville covered up horrific child sexual abuse.
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