TORONTO (LifeSiteNews) — Father Thomas Rosica has been accused of sexually assaulting a young priest over 20 years ago.
Rumors exchanged among insiders in the Archdiocese of Toronto for the past few months were substantiated yesterday when an American Catholic news outlet, The Pillar, revealed that Rosica’s faculties as a priest were suspended in March 2024 after the alleged victim filed suit against him in an Ontario court.
According to the lawsuit, a copy of which was provided to The Pillar, Rosica first developed a relationship with his accuser, who was not named, when the latter was a newly ordained priest in the late 1990s. Then a chaplain to Catholic students at the University of Toronto’s Newman Centre, Rosica allegedly invited the young priest to work with him on the World Youth Day 2002 celebrations. Thanks to his work with young people and his talent for making friends in high places, the Italian-speaking Rosica had been appointed “National Director and CEO” of the papal event.
According to the suit, the young priest had initially been impressed by Rosica’s influence, connections, and “international” recognition in the Catholic Church. The two men developed a “close personal relationship” albeit with strings attached. Allegedly, Rosica originally “made unwanted physical contact with the Plaintiff, including long hugs and touching the Plaintiff’s body and arms.” The Pillar reported the suit says also, however, that “in the summer of 2000, and over the next several months … Rosica exposed himself to the young priest and repeatedly ‘groped and fondled the young priest’s genitalia.’”
The suit alleges also that “Rosica facilitated the abuse under the guise of his role as teacher, priest, and guidance counselor, and further with a view of implicitly or explicitly helping the Plaintiff’s career within the Church in return for Rosica’s sexual advances.”
In a countersuit, Rosica denies “that he had a close personal relationship with the Plaintiff in any capacity, and denies he had any control or influence over him, or that he preyed upon him or sexually abused him.”
The Basilian priest claims that he had “infrequent ministerial contact with the Plaintiff between 1996 and 2002 but denies sexually abusing or sexually assaulting or making unwanted physical contact or engaging in any improper conduct with the Plaintiff.”
Almost comically, the Basilian priest argued that the case should not go to civil court, saying that “this matter is governed by Codes of Canon Law.”
According to The Pillar, the countersuit states:
Fr. Rosica pleads the Court has no jurisdiction over the subject matter of this dispute as the Plaintiff and Fr. Rosica are ordained priests and the alleged assaults occurred while they were engaged in duties on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church. Any such complaints or allegations would be governed by Canon Law. The court should defer to the ecclesiastical court and its application of Canon Law.
The younger priest also named the Congregation of St. Basil in his complaint, saying that it had failed to provide proper oversight over Rosica and had ignored or covered up complaints about his behavior with “young males.”
The suit stated, “The Basilians knew or ought to have known that Rosica had engaged in deviant behaviour and failed to investigate such. In failing to investigate and identify any past failings of Rosica, they also failed to identify any victims who may have been in need of counseling, assistance and support because of the actions of the Rosica,” the lawsuit charged.
In June, LifeSiteNews contacted Rosica’s religious order, the Congregation of Saint Basil (Basilian Fathers). and the Archdiocese of Toronto regarding rumors Rosica’s priestly faculties had been removed, but neither entity would comment. A source has informed LifeSiteNews that Archbishop Francis Leo of Toronto has had a canonical procedure concerning Rosica “on his desk” since early 2024, but the archdiocese again today refused to comment.
LifeSiteNews also once again contacted the Congregation of Saint Basil, which has not responded.
Since resigning under a cloud from his post as CEO at Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Rosica has assisted several parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto, as well as giving lectures in Toronto and elsewhere and offering retreats at the Jesuit retreat house in Pickering, Ontario. In addition, he lives in Presentation Manor, a home for senior citizens, including retired male and female religious and priests.
Father Henk van Meijel, S.J., told LifeSiteNews today that Rosica is no longer leading retreats at the Jesuit spirituality center.
“We at Manresa cancelled our engagement with Fr. Tom Rosica over a month ago, right after I found out that he had no faculties,” Van Meijel said by email.
Meanwhile, the Jesuits of Canada issued a press release this afternoon saying that the Basilian priest may not be associated with any of their apostolates until his case is resolved:
The Jesuits of Canada remain steadfast in our commitment to the safety and protection of minors and vulnerable adults. Our rigorous safety protocols are applied uniformly to all individuals, including visiting clergy and collaborators.
In response to the recent civil lawsuit involving Father Thomas Rosica, CSB and in accordance with our established procedures, he can no longer be associated with any ministry connected to our Jesuit apostolates until these legal and ecclesial matters are resolved.The precautionary measure reflects our unwavering dedication to transparency and the protection of the vulnerable. It is crucial to maintaining the trust and safety of those we serve.This step is taken for the good of the vulnerable and to affirm those values we profess as the Jesuits of Canada.
LifeSiteNews has also reached out to Presentation Manor to ask about its safeguarding protocols in light of these accusations. Its communications director has not yet replied.
In his autobiography on the Manresa retreat center’s website, Rosica describes himself as “a biblical scholar, lecturer, author and retreat director.” He had studied at St. John Fisher University in his native Rochester, New York; at Regis College in Toronto; at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, and at the Ecole Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem. As well as mentioning his executive role at the Newman Centre (1994-2000) and at World Youth Day 2002, he noted that he was “the founding CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation (2003-2019)” and “English language Media Attaché at five Synods of Bishops at the Vatican (2008, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018).” He also worked with the Holy See Press Office during the first years of the Francis papacy.
This impressive career received a severe check soon after LifeSiteNews discovered, in February 2019, that the Toronto-based priest had plagiarized passages of a speech he had recently given at the Von Hügel Institute at Cambridge University. Subsequently, more examples of Rosica’s plagiarism came to light, and the story spread, first to Canada’s National Post and then around the world. Eventually, it was discovered that Rosica had plagiarized written material for over 30 years and had claimed academic honors he did not have.
Rosica stepped down from leadership with Salt and Light later that year and maintained a low profile for a period. In recent years, however, the priest has resumed a modest public profile, giving interviews to the Toronto Catholic Register and lecturing at different parishes and spiritual centers.
David Domet, the author of the Vox Cantoris blog, today signaled his frustration with Toronto priests who have promoted Rosica despite his proven impositions and allegedly murky background.
“How was it, even after the plagiarism scandal, that you invited Thomas J. Rosica to speak in your parish?” he demanded.
“How was it that you gave him a voice in rehabilitation? Don’t talk to me about ‘mercy.’ Where was the mercy for those who were subjected to his errors? You knew of all of this and you stayed silent. You knew what he was doing and others of this ilk.”
Domet suggested that priests in the Toronto archdiocese might be hanging onto other secrets about Rosica’s conduct.
“Why are you so fearful? What does he have on you? What does the system have on you?
“Where is your courage to out this filth?”