Canadian priest Thomas Rosica is accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit

Former Vatican media star Basilian Father Thomas Rosica has been accused of sexually harassing a priest in Canada.

Rosica, a member of the Congregation of Saint Basi, rose to prominence by leading media relations during Pope John Paul II's visit to Canada for World Youth Day in 2002.

He later founded Salt+Light Television in 2003 and was appointed a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in 2009. He was the Vatican spokesman during the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis and served as Vatican media consultant for the 2008 and 2018 Synods of Bishops.

The news website The pillar According to a lawsuit filed in March in the Canadian province of Ontario, Rosica had developed a mentoring relationship with a newly ordained Canadian priest in the late 1990s while the priest was completing his graduate studies.

The report says that Rosica also invited the young priest to help with the preparations for World Youth Day 2002.

The pillar The complaint states that Rosica had developed a “close personal relationship” with the priest based on “authority and trust.”

The lawsuit alleges that Rosica first “engaged in unwanted physical contact with the plaintiff, including long hugs and touching his body and arms,” ​​and that during the summer of 2000 and the months that followed, he exposed himself and repeatedly “groped and fondled” the other priest's genitals.

The pillar The lawsuit also states that Rosica's order knew about his abuse.

“The Basilians knew or should have known that Rosica was engaging in deviant behavior and failed to investigate. By failing to investigate and identify prior misconduct by Rosica, they also failed to identify victims who may have needed counseling, assistance and support as a result of Rosica's actions,” the lawsuit states.

The priest denied any “inappropriate conduct” toward the priest and said the case should not be heard in Canadian courts but should be handled within the church.

“Father Rosica argues that the court has no jurisdiction over the subject matter of the dispute because the plaintiff and Father Rosica are ordained priests and the alleged assaults occurred while they were carrying out their duties on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church. Any such complaints or allegations would be subject to canon law. The court should defer to the ecclesiastical court and its application of canon law,” the statement said.

It is doubtful whether the Canadian judiciary would rely on the Catholic Church court in a case of sexual abuse.

Rosica first attracted controversy in 2019 after he was accused of plagiarism, forcing him to resign from Salt+Light Television.