OKLAHOMA CITY (OK)
The Oklahoman
By Carla Hinton and Randy Ellis
March 16, 2020
A retired Catholic clergyman named in a list of predatory priests wants to retain the right to carry out priestly functions like officiating at weddings and funerals.
Enid attorney Stephen Jones said he will appeal to Rome on behalf of the Rev. James Mickus if the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City does not restore the retired priest’s “priestly faculties.”
Jones’ disagreement with the archdiocese stems from allegations against Mickus that were included in a report compiled by Oklahoma City-based McAfee & Taft. The law firm was hired by the archdiocese to investigate and report on its findings concerning priests with substantiated allegations of sex abuse against a minor.
The 77-page report released in October 2019 included an allegation that Mickus, 75, had sexually abused a minor while serving as an archdiocese priest at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Enid.
Jones said Mickus acknowledges having a “consensual romantic relationship” with the person who made the allegation, but contends the man was an adult at the time.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.