Christie Criticizes Buono's Call for Archbishop's Resignation

By Matthew Arco
Politicker NJ
May 1, 2013

http://www.politickernj.com/65152/christie-criticizes-buonos-call-archbishops-resignation

Tim Larsen

CAMDEN – Controversy surrounding the state’s highest-ranking Catholic official spurred Gov. Chris Christie to blast his likely gubernatorial challenger as “irresponsible.”

The governor called reports about Newark’s archbishop allowing a priest who admitted groping a boy to continue working with children “disturbing,” but fell short of joining the call from several state lawmakers for Archbishop John Myers to resign.

“I will say this, leaders who make decisions purely based upon media accounts are irresponsible and they are grandstanding, and we don’t need more of that,” Christie said during a Camden news conference Wednesday.

Christie was asked whether he would join the ranks of multiple lawmakers – including his likely Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono – who have called on Myers to step down.

The calls come as the priest at the heart of the controversy, the Rev. Michael Fugee, reportedly violated an agreement with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office that ordered him to not have unsupervised contact with children. The agreement was reportedly struck sometime following a trial in which a jury convicted Fugee of fondling a 14-year-old boy.

The story, which was first reported in The Star-Ledger, indicated Fugee’s continued interaction with children since being charged in 2001 and following subsequent court proceedings, has been accomplished with the approval if the Newark archbishop.

Speaking three days after the story was first published, Christie said he would hold off offering an opinion until he gathers more information about the allegations.

“All I know about this situation is what I’ve read in the paper and so that makes me very nervous,” he said. “Being written about in the paper all the time, I recognize that sometimes it’s accurate and sometimes it isn’t, sometimes it’s a complete story and sometimes it’s slanted by the people who write it to try to get a certain point across.”

The governor went on to say that what he’s read “is disturbing” and that he has “serious concerns,” but stopped short of joining Buono and others in calling for Myers to step down.

“My suspicion is that before her statement was put out today, that Sen. Buono has not had a conversation with anyone in the archdiocese of Newark to examine their side of the story,” Christie said. “I will not be an irresponsible leader. I’ll be the responsible leader who finds out all the facts before I give an opinion.”

Earlier, Buono called for Myers’ immediate dismissal, saying “the decision to allow Mr. Fugee, an admitted sex offender, to spend time alone with children is incomprehensible.”

The governor’s statement spurred Buono to shoot back, saying the church should have a strict adherence to its own zero tolerance policy in the arena of sexual predators.

“No, Gov. Christie, leadership is protecting our children from sexual predators, no matter who they are,” she said in a statement.

“The church has adopted a zero tolerance policy and it must be followed,” she said. “No parent should have to worry that their child is left unsupervised with an admitted sex offender.”