By Herman Grech
Times of Malta
October 20, 2006
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=240517
Disgraced American Congressman Mark Foley is claiming he was molested as a boy by a Gozitan priest who was serving in the US.
The 72-year-old priest, who now lives in Gozo, confirmed to The Times last night he was "close friends" with Mr Foley but said his recollection of events was sketchy since they took place when he was suffering a nervous breakdown.
The story has hit the headlines across the US after an interview with the priest first appeared in the Florida-based Herald Tribune yesterday.
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| Mark Foley |
The alleged abuse took place over a two-year period about 40 years ago when the Congressman was a teenage altar boy.
Mr Foley, a 52-year-old Republican, resigned from Congress last month after his suggestive e-mails to young male assistants surfaced. Soon after, he said he was an alcoholic and claimed to have been molested as a boy by a "clergyman".
The priest described a series of encounters he said Mr Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate but added: "I might not have been conscious of what I did". The Gozitan served as a priest in the US for a number of years and befriended Mr Foley after moving from Brazil to Florida in 1966.
The priest said that, at the time, he considered his relationship with Mr Foley to be innocent but he now says he could see how his actions could be labelled inappropriate.
He told The Times: "I recall giving him back massages and he had a towel. Was it inappropriate to go for a sauna together? We also used to go and eat together. But I don't remember the details, and we went our separate ways years ago".
The Gozitan priest was quoted in the Florida-based newspaper as saying he had taught Mr Foley "some wrong things" related to sex, though he would not specify what he meant.
He said the Catholic Church never had to send him for counselling during his 38 years in the priesthood in Florida - and according to local sources, there are no known reports of sexual abuse levelled out at him. Asked by The Times whether he believed Mr Foley was referring to him in his accusations, the priest replied: "Yes, I think so. I was his only good friend at the time".
However, he said he could not understand why the accusations were being made after so many years.
Until yesterday, neither Mr Foley's lawyer nor the Archdiocese of Miami publicly released the name of the priest he says abused him.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese in Miami told The Times the Church would release the name as soon as possible in order to encourage other potential victims to come forward and protect children if the abuser is still active.
"As soon as we are given the name by the State Attorney's Office we will make it public as per our policy relating to the protection of children and vulnerable adults," she said.
During his time in Florida, the Gozitan priest was assigned to at least six churches.
The following is the statement issued by the Gozo Curia late last night:
"This afternoon, Thursday, 19th October 2006, the Diocese of Gozo has learnt for the first time through the international press about allegations made against a priest residing in the Diocese of Gozo.The Diocese of Gozo has seen the statement issued by the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida, USA, with regard to this case.
"The bishop of Gozo Mgr Mario Grech, contacted tonight the Archdiocese of Miami and asked for further informatrion about the case.
"In the light of all this, tomorrow (today) Bishop Grech will instruct the Response Team to investigate these allegations according to the policies established by the Maltese Ecclesiastical Province with regard to cases of sexual abuse in pastoral activity, and present him with a report. Mgr Grech will pass all information he receives pertaining to this case to the Response Team as he has done in similar cases.
"Bishop Grech, conscious of the gravity of paedophilia, reiterates that he will cooperate with those responsible for investigating such cases so that justice is done to the victims, the perpetrators are reformed and the common good is safeguarded."
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