Tennessee Catholic Bishop Accepted Deacon Removed from Seminary after Allegations of Sexual Misconduct for Parish Ministry
For years, Catholic bishops have said to anyone who will listen that the clergy abuse scandal is "in the past" and that lawsuits and headlines today deal with "historic" cases. The actions of prelates like Knoxville’s bishop are proof positive that those claims are wrong and that the abuse scandal will continue because of the arrogance and lack of care shown by diocesan leaders today.
Bishop Richard Stika’s actions are an example of how the clerical culture continues to endanger children and the vulnerable today. By placing the accused deacon in ministry with the intent to move ahead with his ordination as a priest despite the allegations of abuse made against him, Bishop Stika actively chose to flaunt Church policy and best prevention practices. It seems very clear to us that zero tolerance means something very different to Bishop Stika than it does to the public.
The fact that Bishop Stika’s decision was met with resistance in his own diocese is a good thing, but further demonstrates that the scandal will only be over when prelates who enable abuse are removed from positions of power. Despite the warnings from psychological experts and other priests, Bishop Stika arrogantly intended to ordain this accused deacon to the priesthood.
Clearly, Catholic families in Knoxville need to be wary because the bishop obviously does not appear to care about safe environments for child or adult parishioners. This decision by Bishop Stika should be met with immediate action by Pope Francis. We believe that Bishop Stika should be fired immediately. Once he has been removed, Church officials should ensure that he is investigated by police and charged with a crime if he covered up abuse or committed it himself.
Since the year 2000, about 2700 Catholic priests have been "outed" for abusing thousands of children. Each month, on average, two priests or staffers are arrested. Because only one in ten clerics ever get arrested due to the effectiveness of the Catholic Church’s “playbook” at keeping crimes hidden, we know that those arrests are only the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully stories like this will bring more survivors forward and help them find the courage to report their abuse to trusted friends, therapists, and law enforcement.
CONTACT: Susan Vance, SNAP Tennessee ([email protected], 865-748-3518), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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