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Priest Confesses: Had a 'Relationship' With Teenage Mark Foley
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ShareOctober 19, 2006 11:03 AM
A 72-year-old Catholic priest now living on an island near Sicily has admitted he had a close relationship that "may have gone too far" with former Congressman Mark Foley when Foley was a 12- or 13-year-old altar boy in Florida, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune newspaper.
The priest, Anthony Mercieca, told the paper he and the teenage Foley shared a room on trips, went skinny dipping and that there was one encounter he didn't clearly remember when he was on drugs for a nervous breakdown.
Sources close to Foley's family confirm to the paper that Mercieca is the clergyman Foley claimed had molested him.
Foley's attorney says he will take the name to Miami Archdiocese officials, possibly today. But the lawyer, Gerald Richman, tells ABC News that he doesn't expect any charges to be filed because Florida law wasn't amended to address the abuse of boys until 1972, several years too late.
Foley resigned from Congress Sept. 29 after ABC News obtained sexually explicit instant messages he sent to a teenage former page. Another former page claimed he had a sexual encounter with former Rep. Foley soon after the page turned 18.
October 19, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (10)
It's always interesting to see someone like Foley immediately disclose and blame the past "when caught," but otherwise, nothing.
Posted by: gus | Oct 19, 2006 11:31:23 AM
There is no excuse for a grown man to molest boys and girls. Why do people keep making excuses for them?
I have worked in prisons with their victims-their victims are angry and turn it one themselves or others. The molesters ruin peoples lives and go on with their own quite well, especially if a priest or other prominent person it would appear...
Posted by: Prisilla | Oct 19, 2006 11:52:07 AM
Foley and a priest, conveniently retired to Sicily, "may have gone too far" and so that justifies years of predatory behavior. Note to defense attornies for Foley, please try again as this one will not stick.
Posted by: JCJC | Oct 19, 2006 12:39:43 PM
Is there any truth to the rumors that yet another Republican Congressman (from Illinois) will be resigning in the next day or two because of a relationship with an underage female page? The stories are starting to appear in the "internets".
Posted by: Jeff | Oct 19, 2006 12:46:07 PM
I guess we should all feel sory for Mark Foley. Now he is an alcoholic and a recovering catholic.
Posted by: David | Oct 19, 2006 3:45:37 PM
So, now we are in a world where you do something wrong???...and just blame my past. WOW!!! So, no need to know right from wrong, just blame somebody else instead of yourself!
Posted by: Nicole | Oct 19, 2006 4:07:38 PM
Having been molested ca. 40 years ago (or anytime, for that matter) has no bearing on Foley's culpability for being a child sex predator. There are many people who have been abused who do not become abusers themselves. If the incidents with the priest bothered Foley so much, why did he inflict the same kind of behavior on other chilren? This "revelation" is irrelevant to Foley's behavior and not newsworthy except as an illustration that Foley is trying to foist reponsbility for his actions on others.
Posted by: Kenneth | Oct 19, 2006 4:18:45 PM
Foleys defense is just a cop out. If he was not exposed, he would be sending new text messages to pages today.
All these excuse about him being an alcoholic, gay, and now molested are just that, excuses. He should be kicked out of the alcohol rehab because that is a lie. He will never get the help he needs because he is in major denial about his actions. And until he accepts full responsiblity for his behavior, he is likely to reoffend.
Posted by: Rich | Oct 19, 2006 4:59:45 PM
One thing I'm glad is that the Priest was outed so his reputation can reflect his true self.
It's only now that he want to come out because he doesn't want Mark Foley to frame the relationship but his pissed off attitude is not of regret or asking forgiveness for his behavior. Only when Mark Foley came out and told the truth did the priest confessed with a terrible attituded that the priest is the victim.
That does not absolved Foley's behavior but it shows how if framed his life with the skill the Priest used that he replicated in his behavior with the pages.
Posted by: girladvendger | Oct 19, 2006 8:24:41 PM
If you can remember the past presidential election between George Bush and Al Gore.
Remember it was Florida that gave the Democrats the devastating blow!
Well now...It seems that Florida (Foley) is now giving the Republicans their devastating blow!!
What comes around.....
Go Democrats!
Posted by: justice58 | Oct 20, 2006 12:00:53 AM
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