Vatican exonerates Brooklyn bishop accused of sexual abuse

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The Vatican has concluded that allegations of sexual abuse dating back half a century against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn do not appear to be the truth.

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press

September 1, 2021, 6:09 PM

3 minutes to read

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NEW YORK – The Vatican has concluded that allegations of sexual abuse dating back half a century against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn do not appear to be the truth, ”but a lawyer for the accusers said they would continue to pursue their civil affairs.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said on Wednesday the Vatican had closed its investigation into allegations made separately by two men, who accused Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of abusing them half a century ago while a priest in New Jersey.

DiMarzio has denied the charges made by his accusers, both of whom have filed civil lawsuits against the bishop.

I repeat what I said from the beginning. There is no truth in these allegations. Throughout my 50+ year ministry as a priest, I have never abused anyone, DiMarzio said in a statement. He said he fully cooperated with the investigation.

I remain focused on leading the Diocese of Brooklyn as we emerge from the darkness of the coronavirus pandemic, he said. I ask for your prayers as I continue to fight the lawsuits arising from these two allegations, and now look forward to clearing my name in New Jersey state courts.

The Vatican’s handling of the case was closely watched as it was among the first to be subject to new procedures put in place two years ago by Pope Francis to respond to allegations of sexual abuse against some of the members. of the highest ranking clergy in the church.

Critics, including counsel for his accusers, have expressed concern over the lack of impartiality of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, made up of other bishops.

Investigations regarding the credibility of my clients were subjective and biased because investigators were vetted and paid by the Catholic Church, said the men’s lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which made the decision, is tasked with keeping clergy sexual abuse a secret by hiding the truth, Garabedian said.

One of his accusers, Samier Tadros, said the abuse began when he was 6 and a parishioner at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City.

Tadros asked for $ 20 million in compensation.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly, as Tadros did.

In response to the allegations, Dolan hired a law firm to investigate. This investigation was led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

The findings were then forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for review, which determined that the charges were unfounded.

The Network of Survivors of Those Abused by Priests, more commonly known as SNAP, said it was not surprised by the Vatican’s actions and urged New York Attorney General Letitia James to lead her own investigation.

Given Bishop DiMarzios’ high rank in the Catholic Church and especially the fact that he had been requested by Vatican leaders to investigate other prelates accused of wrongdoing, we believe that true transparency and the blame will have to come from secular officials in New York and New Jersey, not Rome, SNAP said in a statement.

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