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| "And see if there are any vacant basilicas in Rome where I can hideout like Cardinal Law" |
Greeting the deepest crisis of his 12-year tenure with silence,
Newark Archbishop John J. Myers faced new calls for his resignation
yesterday from two New Jersey lawmakers, who blasted him for allowing a
priest to minister to children despite a lifetime ban on such
interaction.
Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri
Huttle (D-Bergen) said the archbishop has displayed "arrogance" and a
lack of common sense over his handling of the Rev. Michael Fugee, 52,
who admitted fondling a 14-year-boy in 2001.
Under the terms of a binding agreement with authorities six years
later, Fugee and the archdiocese vowed the priest would not work in any
position involving children.
Yet for the past several years, Fugee has attended youth retreats,
heard confessions from minors in private rooms and traveled to Canada
with children from a Monmouth County parish, The Star-Ledger reported
earlier this week.
"Enough is enough," said Vitale, who has pushed for laws that aid
victims of sexual abuse. "Based on everything that’s happened, not just
in New Jersey but around the country and the world, you have to follow
the spirit of the law, and they have not done that in this case. Zero
tolerance is zero tolerance."
Read more at the Star-Ledger >>
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