You can also manage your account details and your print subscription after logging in. K noxville Catholics lost their bishop this week and gained an apostolic administrator after Bishop Richard Stika announced Pope Francis had accepted his resignation June 27. However, it has taken far too long to get to this resolution, which demonstrates continued problems with the Catholic Church's willingness to hold bishops accountable for their actions in a timely manner. Without any statement by the Vatican, Stika can still try to control the narrative about his departure without taking real responsibility for his serious abuses of power.. Instead of the rabbit holes and distractions, Humbrecht told Knox News. Previous Coverage: Lawsuit: Gatlinburg priest admits to sexual battery, remained at St. Marys Catholic Church. Do not let this lie of Stikas stand. I recognize that questions about my leadership have played out publicly in recent months. Bishop Stika of Knoxville resigns early amid Vatican investigation into IE 11 is not supported. Photo by Dr. Kelly Kearse. But this silence is inconsistent with the transparency he has promised. if you are trying to comment, you must log in or set up a new account. Caprese Michelangelo In a second lawsuit, a Honduran immigrant seeking asylum in the United States accused a priest in the diocese of locking her in a room and sexually assaulting her after she went to him for grief counseling in 2020. Bishop Richard Stika is out. Now what's next for East Tennessee Catholics? Bishop Richard Stika is out. Now what's next for East Tennessee Catholics? I do know that the bishop is a very loving and intelligent leader, Manning said. I myself was a victim of sexual abuse when I was in high school by a priest, and look at me. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Richard Stika, the bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, resigned following allegations that he had mishandled sexual abuse allegations, the diocese announced Tuesday. The Vatican has received multiple allegations of administrative misconduct against Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, and is expected to authorize an investigation under the terms ofVos estis lux mundi,The Pillarhas learned. Tue Jun 27, 2023 - 2:15 pm EDT KNOXVILLE, Tennessee ( LifeSiteNews) Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the much embattled Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville diocese, following a. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. All rights reserved. It reminds us that the Church isnt perfectits human, but it continues to grow in goodness, thanks be to God.. Vatican accepts resignation of controversial Nigerian bishop Manning said that he does not believe Stika has an inappropriate relationship with the seminarian, or is inordinately protecting him. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (OSV News) Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, 65, has resigned from pastoral governance of the diocese. The U.S. bishops conference said the Vatican had appointed an administrator to run the troubled diocese until the pope appointed a new bishop. In February, the seminarian was dismissed from seminary studies at an institution outside the diocese, but continues to be identified as a seminarian by the Knoxville diocese. Previous Coverage: Knoxville Catholic Diocese, Bishop Stika accused of rape cover-up in lawsuit. [1] He then studied at St. Louis University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in business in 1979. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Now we can start getting back to being what were supposed to be about, the work of Christ. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the bishop of Knoxville, Tenn., the Vatican announced on Tuesday. Chris Manning, a retired police officer and member of the Knoxville review board, was appointed by the board to look into the allegation. Please visit ourmembership pageto learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. In his statement, Bishop Stika said he has tried (his) best to be a good shepherd, citing the eight new churches he has dedicated, including a $30 million Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated in 2018; improvement to schools; and expanded care for the sick and vulnerable. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE) A new archbishop has been appointed to temporarily serve as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville after the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika.. [1], Named vicar for priests in 2002, Stika served as both pastor of the Church of the Annunziata Parish in Ladue, Missouri, and episcopal vicar for Child and Youth Protection from 2004 to 2009. [28] Sobczuk continued to live in the episcopal residence and in September 2021 accompanied Stika on a 10-day vacation. Stika was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville by Pope Benedict XVI on Jan. 12, 2009 and officially took the position of the dioceses third bishop on March 19, 2009. A Knoxville priest toldThe Pillarhe believes that Stika has impeded or restricted investigations into the seminarians misconduct, even after the diocesan review board recommended a formal investigation this month. Wogan added that he was unable to speak to the particulars of the investigations in question, but added that diocesan personnel are committed to acting in accord with relevant ecclesiastical norms. At 65, Bishop Stika is resigning 10 years before reaching the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. Stikas departure, after 14 years as bishop of Knoxville, closes a turbulent chapter for the southern U.S. diocese that was marked by a remarkable revolt by some of its priests, who accused Stika of abusing his authority and protecting a seminarian accused of sexual misconduct. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, 65, has resigned from pastoral governance of the diocese. I recognize that questions about my leadership have played out publicly in recent months. There have been other cultural issues in the diocese during Stikas tenure, the priest said, which he hopes might be addressed in any investigation. Pope Francis accepted Stika's resignation, the diocese said, appointing Most Reverend Shelton Fabre, Archbishop of Louisville, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville until the installation of a new bishop. Bishops Accused of Sexual Abuse and Misconduct. It was all followed exactly, Im not covering anything up, he added. We will be lied to no longer.. Dorothy Day synthesized seemingly contradictory values with insight and nuance. Cardinal John Carberry ordained Stika as a deacon on May 1, 1985. The seminarian was appointed to a staff position as the bishops assistant, and given an office in the diocesan chancery. It is the birthplace of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The bishop also said he had permitted the seminarian to reside in his home, as he had done on other occasions, in part because the seminarian assists Rigali, who is 86 years old and has experienced health problems. And a lawsuit is just one side of the story. They appealed to the Vatican for merciful relief in 2021, citing their own mental health, sparking a Vatican investigation that led to Stikas resignation. The detective illegally obtained her employment records and told police that she had committed employment fraud, according to the lawsuit. The 2019 assault allegation against the seminarian was reported again to the Knoxville diocese earlier this month. The seminarian boasted of receiving gifts from his bishop while he was in studies, and of his close relationships with cardinals and other ecclesiastical officials, sources said. The Vatican accepted the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika, after complaints about his leadership and lawsuits over his handling of sexual abuse claims. He added: "I recognize that questions about my leadership have played out publicly in recent months. The rise and fall of Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika The deacon's own bishop refused to excardinate, or transfer, him to the Diocese of Knoxville and he was not ordained. "The bishops resignation is a first step," he continued. For these reasons, I asked the Holy Father for relief from my responsibilities as a diocesan bishop., According to The Pillar, 11 Knoxville diocesan priests appealed in September 2021 to Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., for merciful relief from Bishop Stikas leadership, which they claimed had been detrimental to priestly fraternity and even to (their) personal well-being.. A lawsuit filed in 2022 accused him of trying to obstruct a diocesan investigation into a seminary student accused of raping and harassing a church musician in 2019. He said it was likely that Archbishop Kurtz would be granted power to investigate. A Knoxville priest said he believes it was Stika who limited the investigation to interviewing only the seminarian himself. That is frustrating.. Between mid-2018 and 2020 $4,000 of diocesan funds were earmarked as cash gifts for Sobczuk, and the diocese also paid his phone bill and reimbursed nearly $30,000 in expenses for travel, car repairs, and other personal expenditures. I dont know if youve ever been subjected to accusations when youre doing something for the right reasons. It was not reported by the alleged victim, but by a third party concerned the matter had not been thoroughly investigated. I guess I would argue its worse, Stikas behavior, he told Knox News. But in some ways at the risk of sounding harsh, many of us believe the coverup is more morally egregious. [28] The seminarians at St. Meinrad who had accused Sobczuk of harassing and assaulting them were never interviewed. [18] The Vatican laicized Casey on January 10, 2013. At the same time, however, I must voice my disappointment that Pope Francis did not proactively remove Bishop Stika from the office of Bishop of Knoxville, rather than allowing Stika the appearance of a graceful resignation. In media interviews, Stika has strongly defended his actions and his leadership and said he worked to bring unity in the diocese. Peter Iorio, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima in Alcoa, said during a Mass that Stika's departure is both sweet and bittersweet. WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Richard F. Stika from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Knoxville. Bishop Stika Resigns - Complicit Clergy [16] It was also noted that he suffered from diabetes for decades and had experienced a heart attack, heart bypass surgery and a diabetic coma that resulted in vision loss in one eye. Stika coordinated Pope John Paul II's visit to St. Louis in 1999. Pope Francis accepts resignation of Knoxville's embattled Bishop Stika