Second man says Father Mercieca abused him as minor

Published: 2006-10-26

MIAMI (CNS) -- The Miami Archdiocese said that it learned through the news media that a second man has claimed that he was abused as a minor by Father Anthony Mercieca. "The alleged actions of Father Mercieca were previously unknown to the Archdiocese of Miami," said an Oct. 25 statement by Mary Ross Agosta, archdiocesan communications director. Earlier the same day, a man filed a civil suit saying Father Mercieca molested him once in the late 1970s when the man was an altar boy at St. James Church in North Miami. The man was not identified in the lawsuit. Father Mercieca, 72, has admitted to sexually inappropriate behavior 40 years ago with Mark Foley when the former member of the House of Representatives from Florida was an altar boy. Foley resigned earlier this year as a member of the House after the discovery that he had sent sexually themed e-mails to male House pages. Foley later said that Father Mercieca had sexually abused him when he was a minor. After the priest's admission, the archdiocese removed his priestly faculties and announced that it had begun an investigation into his activities. Currently, Father Mercieca is retired and lives in Malta.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .