Excerpts from the NY Times article Catholic Priest Claims Relationship With Foley:

A Catholic priest told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Wednesday that he had an intimate two-year relationship with former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley when the congressman was a teenage altar boy.

Mr. Foley resigned from Congress last month after his suggestive electronic messages to young male pages surfaced. Soon after, he said he was an alcoholic and said he had been molested as a boy by a clergyman.

From his home on the island of Gozo, a part of Malta off the Italian coast, the priest, Anthony Mercieca, described a series of encounters that he said Mr. Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate. Among them: massaging Mr. Foley while the boy was naked, skinny-dipping with him at a secluded lake and being naked in the same room on overnight trips.

Father Mercieca said he was in a drug-induced stupor one night and cannot clearly remember what happened but that it may also have been inappropriate.

—I have to confess, I was going through a nervous breakdown,— he said. —I was taking pills —” tranquilizers. I used to take them all the time. They affected my mind a little bit.—

He’s still in denial about the fact he’s an abuser. ‘Hey, look, I drink because people are mean to be, not because I’m an alcoholic’ doesn’t work.

…

Father Mercieca said he taught Mr. Foley —some wrong things— related to sex, though he wouldn’t specify what he meant. He also said they were naked together in a sauna twice.

Father Mercieca said that, at the time, he considered his relationship with Mr. Foley innocent. But he now says he sees that his actions may have been inappropriate.

I think more like ‘were inappropriate.’ And what type of sexual behaviors were you to teach as a priest?

Father Mercieca said his encounter with Mr. Foley was an aberration, and that the Catholic Church never had to send him for counseling during his 38 years in the priesthood in Florida.

—I have been in many parishes, and I have never been— accused, he said.

So what! Perhaps your position, people’s fear of disgrace, etc. etc. resulted in your not being accused. Still, you are an abuser. To Mr. Dreher’s oft talked about position – you just don’t get it.

…

Father Mercieca said during his two years in Lake Worth, he ate dinners with Mr. Foley’s family and that Mr. Foley’s grandmother —was delighted to see me all the time.—

Perhaps one of the reasons you were not ‘accused.’

Father Mercieca said he is confused about why Mr. Foley has decided to come forward after almost 40 years.

—Why does he want to destroy me in my old age?— Father Mercieca said.

Because you destroyed his innocence? Perhaps? What do you think Father?

And as a former boss once told me, “There is no perfect justice in the world, but sometimes we hit 85%.”

…

—He took us to the movies and would tell us to call him ‘Tony.’ He taught us to drive in his ’57 Chevy,— Mr. Ombres said. —He taught us to drive a stick-shift in a light-blue Volkswagen, driving around the church parking lot.—

Ending in ironic tragedy…