The elderly Gozitan priest at the centre of a sex scandal involving a former US congressman has categorically denied accusations of sexual abuse made by a second American man.
"Regarding the allegations made by Attorney Jeffrey Herman, speaking on behalf of an unidentified person by the name of John Doe (a pen name) No. 26, Fr (Anthony) Mercieca emphatically denies the accusation made against him and describes it at best as a figment of the imagination and at worst as a malicious fabrication," lawyer Alfred Grech said when asked by The Times.
The retired priest, who is in the spotlight after being accused of molesting ex-congressman Mark Foley four decades ago, is facing new allegations of sexual abuse by another former South Florida altar boy.
In the first comments to the press since the accusations surfaced against the 72-year old priest, Dr Grech said:
"In the wake of the onslaught of accusations levelled against him, Fr Anthony Mercieca believes that nothing that had happened between him and Mark Foley, some 40 years ago, could provide solid grounds for legal action against him. He therefore considers the aggressive and unfavourable exposure as being unfair and unjustified."
The latest accuser in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, claims Fr Mercieca allegedly abused him in the late 1970s at St James church, in North Miami. At the time, the accuser said he was between 12 and 13 years old.
The alleged victim, now 40, is seeking $10 million from the Miami Archdiocese.
His attorney, Mr Herman, said his client came forward after all these years because he felt "guilty" about not stopping the priest from possibly abusing other boys.
The suit accuses archdiocese officials of failing to protect the boy and concealing John Doe's case from the public.
Church officials, however, disputed that claim. "The alleged actions of Fr Mercieca were previously unknown to the Archdiocese of Miami. There were no prior allegations or information to indicate Fr Mercieca did or would engage in any type of inappropriate or abusive behaviour," according to a statement issued by spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta.
Dr Grech argued that Fr Mercieca has been caught in the crossfire of a sordid force in the US that the Maltese may not understand.
"This is a mud-slinging exercise and I fear that there is an attempt to find a scapegoat to hide a murkier side of things back there. But the true mark of a Christian is also to live through persecution and misunderstanding, never expecting to be justified or rewarded in this world. Fr Mercieca will come out of this as a true Christian," he said.
Fr Mercieca's faculties have been removed, and therefore he cannot celebrate Mass publicly, administer any sacraments of the Catholic Church and cannot wear clerical clothing. A prominent Gozitan priest, who preferred to remain unnamed, told The Times the island remained four-square behind Fr Mercieca, despite the new claims.
"This is nothing more than character assassination," he said, adding that the Gozitan community was sympathising with the priest to the extent that many were asking for his phone number to contact him and express support.