BishopAccountability.org
	Bishop Wants Foley to Name Priest He Claimed Molested Him By Dale M. King Boca Raton News [Florida] October 17, 2006 http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=17718&category=Local%20News The bishop of the Palm Beach County Catholic Diocese – already reeling from accusations of grand theft against two Delray Beach priests – has become embroiled in the Mark Foley email sex situation. Bishop Gerald Barbarito has sent a letter to David Roth, Foley's attorney, asking him to clarify a comment that Foley made, alleging that a priest in the diocese molested him some 40 years ago. "Until such time as you identify the alleged perpetrator, all clergy that served in Palm Beach County have been needlessly placed under suspicion," the bishop said in his letter. Since the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was adopted by the United States Roman Catholic Dioceses in 2002, "bishops have encouraged victims of child abuse to come forward [and] identify the alleged perpetrator." A message left at Roth's office Monday by the Boca Raton News was not returned. Foley, the congressman from District 16, quit last month after reports became public that he had sent sexually explicit emails to congressional pages. The resignation ignited a verbal firestorm between Democrats and Republicans. The battle ramped up when Republicans picked state Rep. Joe Negron to run for the District 16 seat on the GOP ticket, even though Foley's name will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. On Monday, the Florida Democratic Party filed a motion in court to prevent what the party termed "illegal electioneering" from occurring within the polling places of District 16. Recently, the state's Division of Elections recommended various methods by which county election supervisors could notify voters of the replacement candidate for Foley. Counsel for the eight county supervisors disagreed with some of the division's recommendations, but suggested posting signs inside polling places to notify voters of the change. However, Democrats say this stands in opposition to Florida's election laws. "Plain and simple, posting candidates' names is considered electioneering, and electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place is illegal," said Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman. "It's not the state's job to inform voters about the Republican candidate. The Republican Party ought not to expect the taxpayers to pay for work they should be doing." Dale M. King can be reached at 561-549-0832 or at dking@bocanews.com.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.