NEW JERSEY
The Jersey Journal
By Ron Zeitlinger/The Jersey Journal
on May 04, 2013
The Rev. Michael Fugee may have resigned from publicly working as a Roman catholic priest, but there is no way he’s escaping the public limelight. As as far as critics are concerned, John J. Myers, the archbishop of the Newark diocese, should be stepping down, too
“Father Fugee should have been fired and removed from ministry by Archbishop (John J.) Myers years ago, not simply allowed to resign today,” said Mark Crawford, New Jersey director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a national advocacy and support group. “There must be consequences for those that enabled his continued access to children.”
Under mounting public pressure, Fugee stepped down from ministering publicly as a priest. The Star-Ledger reported earlier this week that Fugee attended youth retreats and heard confessions from minors in defiance of a lifetime ban on such behavior.
In a statement Thursday, Fugee says he violated a court order on his own, and without the consent of the archbishop. But critics aren’t buying it.
“If the Archbishop went to such great lengths to protect Father Fugee, then it’s likely he may be protecting others,” Crawford said. “He has failed to be transparent, open and honest, and for that Archbishop Myers must step down.”
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