Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, 65, has resigned from pastoral governance of the diocese.
Pope Francis accepted the resignation on 27th June and also appointed Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, as apostolic administrator of Knoxville until a new bishop is appointed and installed. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington on 27th June by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
In a statement sent to media, Bishop Stika, who was the longest serving bishop in Eastern Tennessee, said he has “been dealing with life-threatening health issues most of his adult life” including Type-1 diabetes since 1980. The resignation of Bishop Stika was anticipated in a 13th May report by The Pillar in light of a Vatican-ordered investigation of sexual abuse cover-up and financial mismanagement.
The article cited unnamed sources “close to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops,” who indicated that Pope Francis came to a decision on the embattled Tennessee bishop in April.
Picture: Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tenn., is pictured in a 2015 photo. (OSV News photo/courtesy Diocese of Knoxville)