WUOT 91.9 FM in Knoxville has put several spots on their news about the Knoxville scandal. . Here are the audio clips as well as transcripts of the audio below.
First report: Morning Edition local newscasts May 31, 2021
Click here for audio. (Story starts at 0:24 seconds) See transcript of audio below.
The investigative news outlet The Pillar, which focuses on the Catholic Church, is reporting that the Diocese of Knoxville is likely facing a misconduct investigation by the Vatican. Pillar reporter JD Flynn recently visited the diocese.
"There really are sort of two sort of very different pictures right now of the leadership of the diocese of Knoxville and its true as you talk to the priests they are hurting, they are feeling discouraged and their feelings didn't seem to me to be sort of typical of what you might experience in a dioceses and presbyterate. At the same time, the bishop says that he's being misunderstood and that he has ways to kind of explain some of these things. So I think as a Vatican investigation moves forward, that's exactly kind of what the Vatican's gonna have to meat out is which story is the most likely.”
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Knoxville says they have not been notified by the Vatican about an official investigation into the bishop’s conduct.
Second report: Morning Edition local newscasts May 31, 2021
Click here for audio. (Story starts at the 0:25 second mark) Transcript of audio is below.
A news outlet focusing on the Catholic Church, The Pillar, is reporting that the Diocese of Knoxville is likely facing a Vos Estis investigation by the Vatican, after the bishop replaced an investigator who was looking into allegations of sexual misconduct by a seminarian. Pillar reporter JD Flynn explains the origins of Vos Estis.
"In 2018, there was the McCarrick kind of thing. The cardinal who turned out was real bad and the Vatican made new policies after that and one of those policies was basically that a bishop can be kind of investigated and potentially removed if he's found to be sort of interfering in an investigation of someone else's misconduct. So this seminarian, like the way that the bishop replaced the investigator, that would seem at least to fit the bill of that. Now, the Vatican obviously has to make that determination, but it would seem to be in the category. That’s what the priests in the dioceses are alleging”
He says multiple sources claim a Vos Estis investigation has begun; a spokesperson from the Diocese of Knoxville says it has not been informed of a Vos Estis investigation to date.
All Things Considered local newscast April 26, 2021
Catholic news site The Pillar reports that the Vatican is expected to authorize an investigation into allegations of administrative misconduct against Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville. The review board of the diocese has also recommended a formal investigation. Complaints allege that Stika hampered investigations into accusations of serial sexual misconduct by a seminarian living in his home at the time. Stika said he acted properly.