Priest Confesses to Fondling Foley

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:48am

Priest tells of Foley relationship

Then-altar boy may have found some things inappropriate

By MATTHEW DOIG and MAURICE TAMMAN

[e-mail]
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A Catholic priest told the Herald-Tribune on Wednesday about an intimate two-year relationship he had with former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley when the congressman was a teenage altar boy living in Lake Worth.

From his home on the island of Gozo, near Italy, Anthony Mercieca described a series of encounters that he said Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate.

Among them: massaging Foley while the boy was naked, skinny-dipping together at a secluded lake in Lake Worth and being naked in the same room on overnight trips....
Priest tells of Foley relationship

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:50am

"Might perceive."

Ha.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:50am

Not massages and skinny dipping. Are all of these stories always the same?

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:52am

How convenient that he decided to speak out now. Meanwhile, I have a gushing chest wound. Anybody got a Band-aid?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:53am

I think he maybe left out "...and j*rking off on his back."

[MotorTink]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:53am

So "the priest touched me inappropriately" story is the 2000's version of the 1990's "my father abandoned me" why I did it story? I'm not saying that this stuff doesn't happend and that it is not absolutely horrible, but every other day this story is coming out about someone new.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:55am

You forgot "I'm an alcoholic."

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 10:59am

I'm making light of this but it's actually serious: Foley was 12 when this started.

I don't think anyone should consider these men gay. These men are child molesters and should be subject to criminal charges.

Institutons like the Catholic Church and the Republican Party that sweep these crimes under the carpet should be made accountable for their role in the cycle of continuation of these crimes.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:02am

The Church has taken some steps, but there must be more agressive action.

Does not matter if it is a boy a girl, it is criminal and immoral!

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:04am

hmmmmm

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:09am

I don't think anyone should consider these men gay. These men are child molesters and should be subject to criminal charges.

But, in the Democrats glee with bringing this to light, and the endless coverage of it, that's what most of America is left to understand - gay men molest underage boys. That's exactly what they want Republican America to think. Typical of the grotesque current 2 party system in this country.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:10am

Yes, and there are thousands of people abused as kids who do not abuse others. I am most troubled by the focus shifting from Foley's behavior (and tiers of cover-up) to Foley-the-victim. I don't doubt the pain this incident caused him, but I find it disgusting to watch the Republican machine employ the victim defense, when they are the party who expounds "personal accountability" and responsibility. Can you imagine these same people sitting still for such a defense, if the culprit was a Democrat?

In a way, it's related to this non-story about the dancing C&W star and her porn-loving, nanny schtuping Republican fund-raiser/also ran hubby. I don't personally care about their sexual habits or mores; I resent their faux piety and projection of "familyt values" on the rest of us -- to get Christian votes -- until their hypocrisy is revealed.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:17am

Then-altar boy may have found some things inappropriate

Apparently not.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:22am

But, in the Democrats glee with bringing this to light, and the endless coverage of it, that's what most of America is left to understand - gay men molest underage boys. That's exactly what they want Republican America to think. Typical of the grotesque current 2 party system in this country.

JohnBoy, I'm in uncomfortable agreement with you on this. The other day, I was browsing the comments from people on AmericaBlog, and one who probably considers himself progressive was talking about the Jim Kolbe camping trips. His position seemed to be that gay men should never put themselves in situations where they are alone with underage boys because of the perception it creates. And if this is what supposed gay allies are thinking, what must our enemies be thinking?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:27am

"in the Democrats glee with bringing this to light"

There is no glee in the Democrats over this.

That glee only exists in the minds of right-wing partisans attempting to obfuscate and deflect.

Democrats find no glee in this scandal.

No. Glee.

Updated On: 10/19/06 at 11:27 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:28am

To paraphrase, if I may:

"It's the hypocrisy, stupid."

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:32am

Foley's actions are his own and should be addressed by law enforcement if appropriate. It is the hypocrisy and lack of action by Hastert that has made this a scandal. Foley is obviously a troubled soul; I personally wish no ill will on him other than legal action if appropriate.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:41am

Ever feel like you are constantly living in an episode of Law & Order?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:59am

Children who are sexually abused may grow up to be abusers, that is true. But if we believe statistics, the majority of abused children do NOT grow up to be abusers themselves.

I have been working in an child abuse-prevention organization for over 5 years now, and many of the individuals most committed to preventing physical and sexual abuse against children are those who were victims. So it is not an excuse, an explanation or a defense for inappropriate behavior.

You don't molest children because you are gay either. You molest children because you are sick, and that is NOT the same as gay. I sincerely hope that prominent experts will be vocal and visible in explaining this to the public.

As a Democrat, a child advocate and a parent, I can assure you that I am not feeling "glee" over this incident. I am also very, very concerned about how this will be twisted and used against the gay community, but I do not see the Democrats doing the twisting.

As namo has pointed out, the only "satisfaction" Democrats feel (if you can call it that) is that Republicans are demonstrating that they are human beings like the rest of us, not the demi-gods they have promoted themselves to be. There is corruption, misbehavior, greed, lying, sexual misconduct, scandal and so forth in the Republican Party as well as the Democratic. Claiming either party is "above" human weakness or the arbiter of morality is absurd, and this unfortuante incident illustrates that.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:03pm

I agree with Miss P.

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:10pm

Damn Miss P will you run for President? If Obama runs I might have to drop you down to VP but you NEED to be on the ticket!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:12pm

"But if we believe statistics, the majority of abused children do NOT grow up to be abusers themselves."

Which the Republicans will undoubtably keep under their hats. Statistics are like Bible passages to them. Only use what you need and just talk loudly when faced with the facts.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:23pm

And why has the "cover-up" aspect of this whole affair been buried? That is key to the problem.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 1:09pm

Thanks, Joe! I would settle for being in the same room with Obama!

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 1:10pm

Why has the cover-up been buried? You're right, that is key, here. And, I wasn't speaking about registered democratic voters, I'm speaking about politicians. I work around them, almost every single day. If you don't think there is glee that this happened, then you either don't know your politicians; or, you are deluding yourself. The saddest thing about American politics, today, is that both parties expend most of their effort sincerely hoping (and working so that) the other will fail (regardless of what it is), instead of working together to get something accomplished. How anyone can vote for a party, boggles my mind.