Yesterday, we reported that Mark Foley would soon reveal the identity of the clergyman he says molested him as a child..
Today, however, a priest has come forward, saying he had a two-year “relationship” with the then-minor Foley. The New York Times reports:
A Catholic priest told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Wednesday that he had an intimate two-year relationship with former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley when the congressman was a teenage altar boy.
From his home on the island of Gozo, a part of Malta off the Italian coast, the priest, Anthony Mercieca, described a series of encounters that he said Mr. Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate. Among them: massaging Mr. Foley while the boy was naked, skinny-dipping with him at a secluded lake and being naked in the same room on overnight trips.
Pretty convenient that Mercieca’s in Italy, beyond the reaches of America’s legal arm – although, we suspect his holy leaders at The Vatican will have something to say about all this, and we’d much rather deal with some coppers than Catholic goons.
Also, what does he means “Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate…”? How could one not find that sexually inappropriate?
How about we take this to the next level?
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The report continues:
Father Mercieca said he was in a drug-induced stupor one night and cannot clearly remember what happened but that it may also have been inappropriate.
“I have to confess, I was going through a nervous breakdown,” he said. “I was taking pills – tranquilizers. I used to take them all the time. They affected my mind a little bit.”
Ah, the old drug-induced stupor write-off. Sounds a bit familiar. Oh, right, that’s the exact same thing Foley said before running off to rehab. We’ve done some dumb things when on drugs, but we can’t recall molesting any children. It seems to us that something else must have been lurking beneath the surface other than pills…
Diddy
wow, lol i think this is actually the only article that i have read today that actually says he “Admitted” to it, every other one says that he “couldn’t recall” since it has been such a long time. i for one do believe that something went on, and the fact that he is in another country has no bearing on what we can do to him, considering that these things took place in the 1960’s with they also did not put in there, the US criminal statute of limitations would keep us from prosecuting him in any criminal matter. It really sounds to me that Foley is trying to make excuses for his own sick twisted mind.
ANDY
no kidding? a catholic priest involved with an underage person of the same sex? say it isn’t so!
this whole sick and twisted mess has been dragged around by the media long enough. punish those involved to the upmost of the law. then, move on to subjects that are pertinent and meaningful to society and our world community and not some lurid trash that appeals to people with limited intelligence and morality.
Sandy
While Foley’s actions may be reprehensible, as of yet, they are not prosecutable. Foley, himself, was behind legislation to strengthen laws against child molestation so while he needs to be out of office and he needs some serious help, at least he reigned in his fetish/sickness enough that no one was hurt. Kennedy, Studds, etc. can’t say the same.