After the dust settled, former Bishop Richard Stika ended up having a lasting impact on the Diocese of Knoxville.
Perhaps not the type he would have envisioned. The multiple crises and lawsuits that built up under his leadership spurred the diocese to update its sexual misconduct policy.
In February, Louisville Archbishop Shelton Fabre, who served as the interim leader in Knoxville, approved the updates. They include new language and policies, including rules that church leaders can’t interfere with sex abuse investigations and the accused can’t retaliate against the accuser.
An internal diocesan review board started working on the changes in January 2023. Stika resigned in June.
Diocesan spokesperson Jim Wogan declined to say why each change was made or whether Stika’s time with the diocese influenced them.
“The diocese views this as a positive step by removing any questions about the board’s authority and ability to act independently,” Wogan wrote in…
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