A Mepmhis priest has resigned from his parish while he faces a civil trial alleging sexual abuse of a young man. The priest, Fr. Richard Mickey, originally had been suspended from ministry in 2004, but Bishop J. Terry Steib returned him to ministry in 2005, saying that the allegations were not credible. (I’ve blogged about Steib before regarding the friendly welcome he provides for the gay agenda in Memphis.)
Victims’ groups say Fr. Robert Mickey should never have been returned to ministry, while the diocese says that Mickey is leaving his parish, not because he’s admitting wrongdoing, but because the lawsuit is a distraction. Mickey is accused of abusing at least two young men back in the 1980s. (Hmm, they say they “recovered” the memories recently. I am dubious about the claim of recovered memory, although for personal reasons I am not completely skeptical.) A third man says in a recent deposition that he and Mickey were a “dating couple.” (Remember, the “experts” wag their fingers and tell us that homosexuality has nothing to do with the Scandal.)
Among the evidence claimed in the case are more than 70 cards and letters allegedly sent from Mickey to the victims.
Whether or not Mickey engaged in any illegal conduct, the evidence that he engaged in sinful conduct unbecoming a Catholic priest looks pretty damning. Makes you wonder why Steib reinstated him. It also makes you wonder about other priests exonerated under Steib’s administration.
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