Tennessee bishop resigns amid priest complaints and abuse lawsuits.
Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, has resigned following allegations of mishandling sex abuse allegations and complaints from several priests about his leadership and behavior. The Vatican authorized an investigation of the diocese, called an “apostolic visitation,” that took place in late 2022. Stika is also the subject of at least two lawsuits that accuse him of mishandling sexual abuse allegations and seeking to silence the accusers. Pope Francis accepted Stika’s resignation, and the archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky, the Most Reverend Shelton Fabre, was named temporary administrator to run the diocese until a new bishop is installed.