The bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, Bishop Richard Stika, has resigned from his position following mounting allegations of mishandling sex abuse cases and complaints about his leadership and behavior.
The Vatican’s investigation into the matter led Pope Francis to accept Stika’s resignation, despite him being 10 years below the normal retirement age for bishops.
Bishop Allegations and Vatican Investigation
In the wake of Stika’s departure, the Most Reverend Shelton Fabre, the archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky, has been appointed as the temporary administrator to oversee the diocese until a new bishop is installed.
Stika’s tenure as bishop of Knoxville, which spanned 14 years, was marred by a significant revolt from some of the diocese’s priests.
They accused Stika of abusing his authority and protecting a seminarian accused of sexual misconduct.
The priests appealed to the Vatican for intervention in 2021, citing their own mental health concerns.
This appeal prompted the Vatican investigation which ultimately led to Stika’s resignation.
Stika, in various media interviews, vehemently defended his actions and leadership, emphasizing his efforts to foster unity within the diocese.
However, the allegations and public scrutiny took a toll on him physically and emotionally. Stika cited life-threatening health issues, including diabetes, heart problems, and neuropathy, as contributing factors to his resignation.
Apart from the complaints raised by the priests, Stika also faced legal challenges with at least two lawsuits accusing him of mishandling sexual abuse allegations and attempting to silence the accusers.
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Misconduct and Cover-Up within the Diocese of Knoxville
Stika, however, denied any cover-up of sexual abuse and maintained a firm stance against such misconduct.
One of the lawsuits involved a former employee at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville.
The employee, known as John Doe, accused a seminarian of harassment and rape in 2019.
The lawsuit claimed that Stika should have been aware of the seminarian’s previous misconduct allegations and should not have encouraged the accuser’s friendship with him.
It further alleged that Stika defended the accused seminarian, even after the employee reported the rape.
The lawsuit also accused Stika of replacing an investigator looking into the matter and pressuring the accuser to drop the case.
In another lawsuit, a Honduran immigrant seeking asylum in the United States accused a priest in the diocese of sexual assault after seeking grief counseling in 2020.
The lawsuit claimed that the diocese was aware of the accusation but failed to take action until the priest was indicted on sexual battery charges in 2022.
The lawsuit further accused the diocese of spreading rumors about the woman, leading to her social isolation and harassment.
Additionally, the diocese allegedly hired a private detective to investigate her and engaged in illegal practices, such as obtaining her employment records and falsely accusing her of employment fraud.
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