Vatican spokesman Father Thomas Rosica accused of sexual abuse

The case has gone virtually unnoticed in Italy during these holidays and vacations, although it is causing great excitement in the United States and Canada. Father Thomas Rosica, a well-known figure in the Vatican for having worked at the World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002 and later serving as English-speaking spokesman for the Vatican Press Office during the Vatican Synods of Bishops under the reigns of Benedict XVI and later Francis (2008, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018), was accused of sexual misconduct by a young priest who filed a complaint in Canada, where Rosica lives, describing events that took place 20 years ago. Rosica has denied the accusation and denies having had close personal relationships or inappropriate behavior. Now it will be up to a civil court to resolve this, although the former Curia official believes this case should be handled by a canonical court and not a civil court. “This matter should be regulated by the codes of canon law,” he told the Catholic portal The Pillar, which was the first to report the news.

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The Diocese of Toronto has suspended Rosica from all positions since March of last year, when the alleged victim (a young priest ordained in the 1990s) filed suit, pending the outcome of the suit. The victim says he was invited to work at World Youth Day in 2002. At the time, Rosica was chaplain to Catholic students at the University of Toronto. The young priest was initially impressed by Rosica's influence, connections and international recognition and found him fascinating. The two men reportedly developed a “close personal relationship” and the victim speaks of “unwanted physical contact,” including long hugs and groping of the body, genitals and arms.

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The Rosica case was handled with great caution by the Diocese of Toronto, given his notoriety; it was reportedly aware of the case as early as the spring. Several American and Canadian media outlets tried to obtain a statement from Archbishop Francis Leo, but without much success. Rosica has since retired to a home for retired priests while the justice system takes its course. Meanwhile, the Canadian Jesuits have issued a statement suspending him from all duties because Rosica was holding spiritual retreats in some centers of the Society of Jesus. This Brazilian-born religious, polyglot, biblical scholar, journalist, director and founder of the Canadian Catholic television channel Sel et Lumiere had previously faced another legal battle, this time for plagiarism from other sources without attribution. This cost him his job and several positions at some American universities.

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