BishopAccountability.org
	Second Man Alleges to Have Been Abused by Priest Malta Media News October 25, 2006 http://www.maltamedia.com/news/2005/ln/article_12069.shtml A second former altar boy has alleged that he was sexually abused by Fr. Anthony Mercieca. The Gozitan priest admitted last week to have had an "intimate relationship" with former United States Republican Congressman Mark Foley in the 1960s. The man is alleging that that abuse took place in the 1970s when he was 12 years old. Now aged 40, the man has been identified in a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Miami as John Doe No. 26. Attorney Jeffrey Herman, appearing for the client, said that the lawsuit will be filed on Wednesday. Attorney Jeffrey Herman said that the man who lived in North Miami, was an altar boy at St. James Catholic Church, where Mercieca worked. The Associated Press reported the Atttorney saying that "He had been thinking about it before Foley came forward, and then when Foley came out and the church encouraged other victims to come forward, he decided to come forward." 69-year-old Fr. Mercieca, now lives in Gozo. Last week he allegedly told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that he had series of encounters with Mark Foley that the Congressman might have perceived as sexually inappropriate. However, speaking to the Associated Press the following day, he said that the Sarasota Herald-Tribune "wrote many things that I didn't say". Fr. Mercieca is being investigated by the Diocese of Gozo as well as by the Archdiocese of Miami. Speaking of the alleged abuse on John Doe, his Attorney said that "It was fondling and he performed oral sex on the boy." The incident allegedly took place when the priest and the boy went for a bike ride together. The Attorney was quoted to have told the Associated Press that the priest "attempted on another occasion following altar boy practice, but the boy declined to go on this bike ride and he never went back to the church after that." Fr. Anthony Mercieca has so far denied that the relationship between him and Mark Foley was of a sexual nature, saying that they shared brotherly love. Mark Foley resigned from the US Congress last month after a number of suggestive e-mails to young male pages were uncovered. The former Congressman from Florida said soon after his resignation that he had been molested as a boy by a "clergyman". See also: • International media say Maltese back accused priest
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.