MONROVIA – The most powerful fraternity within the Liberian Church has expelled journalist Rhodoxon Fayiah for calling for investigation of Archbishop Lewis Zeigler and Bishop Andrew Karnley and frowning on the treatment of Father Gabriel Sawyer, a priest who recently made explosive allegations of sex-based assaults and abuse of power against him by the two top clergy men. The move, by the local board of the Knights of Saint John International, directly contradicts the latest decree by Pope Francis ordering all churches to investigate allegations of sexual abuse.
Report by TeceeBoley, New Narratives Senior Justice Correspondent
In spite of calls by advocates for investigation of the allegations, the Knights of St. International’s local branch is standing up to the Pope. In their expulsion letter, the Knights wrote, “The Executive board of Sacred Heart Commandery #366, Knights of St. John International regrets to inform you that the board unanimously agreed to expel your membership from the Knightsof St. John International for CONDUCT UNBECOMING OF A KNIGHT as enshrined in the supreme constitution, Chapter VI Section 9 and 51 of the Knights of St. John International”.
The letter furthered stated, “The board took this decision on May 11, 2019 at a special Executive Board Meeting held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish on Broad and Nelson Streets to which you were invited and failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate such CONDUCT”.
But Fayiah told this paper his expulsion from the fraternalism is illegal as the Executive Board does not have the power to expel him. In his response to the group Fayiah decision by the Board to expel his membership in the absence of due process is against the constitution of our Noble Order, Knights of Saint John International.
“I was never investigated by any Panel from the Commandery on any allegations. Legally, any matters bearing such magnitude should have carried to the full plenary; who will then move and vote to be forwarded to the Board of Trustee for investigation. The Board will then report back to plenary with its findings and recommendation requiring full vote of the commandery, in which I was initiated. Therefore the expulsion by the Executive board should be quashed and rendered null and void on procedural grounds, in adherence to the supreme constitution as what is not done legally is not done at all.“
He said their action is intended to force him to silence. “No amount of intimidation by the Knight of Saint John International will make me withdraw from the advocacy, calling for the investigation of the two Bishops accused of homosexuality in the Catholic Church. I believed only investigation can exonerate anyone who is alleged of committing a crime,” Fayiah insisted.
Fayiah said his calls for investigation are in line with the pope want to happen in the church. “My only surprise, the Knights of Saint John, who claimed to be Soldiers of the Catholic Church, will punish people who are speaking against the ills in the Church contrary to the Pope’s recent decree on homosexuality in the Catholic Church. The Knights of Saint Johns’ action of expelling me clearly indicates that the Knights want this allegation to be swept under the carpet at the detriment of the priest who made the allegation. I am saying no to the Knights of Saint John International, and as a true Catholic, I respect Fr. Gabriel Sawyer and I can attest that, he is one of our best priests who are known of speaking truth to power.”
The Knights’ position follows that of the Administrator of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Father Alphonsus Momoh, who warned parishioners in a harsh tone not to speak out. These actions, pundits say, will intimidate about 166,000 or more than five percent of the country’s population from speaking on the allegations. This is a drawback from the Liberian Church’s rich legacy of standing up to dictatorship, corruption and other vices of the society. The actions are also huge contradiction to the Pope latest declaration on how the church should deal with allegations of sexual misconduct.
Pope Francis recently instructed knights like Fayiah and all others in the church to report cases of such nature.
The Pope has for the first time in the church history definitively given a time line for the investigation of allegations of sexual abuse by the clergy. Priests are to report any allegations of sex abuse they may come across to their superiors with a resulting investigation within the span of 3 months. Unprecedented powers were also given to the laypeople to report what they hear about clerical sexual misconduct.
The Church in Liberia is yet to open an inquest into allegations of sexual molestations of Fr. Gabriel Sawyer. Correspondence between him and his superiors’ shows that the church has been dragging its feet to investigate the two bishops concerned.Fr. Sawyer complained to the Vatican’s Ambassador since August of 2018.
Despite the expulsion, Fayiah has not stopped calling for an inquest into the accusations that Fr. Sawyer had made against the two men. “What Fr. Momoh did was intended to intimidate the laypeople. This is the same step the Knights are taking but they cannot silence me. With all their actions, we are still calling for investigations of Bishop Karnley and Archbishop Zeigler.”
Fayiah’s actions to speak out are in line with the Pope’s letter ordering that people reporting to authorities should be given attention. “The ecclesiastical Authorities shall commit themselves to ensuring that those who state that they have been harmed, together with their families, are to be treated with dignity and respect, and, in particular, are to be”.
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Funding was provided by Australian Aid. The funder had no say in the story’s content.