A Gulfport man has accused a former Catholic bishop of sexual assault while the man underwent medical treatment for drug addiction, according to a civil lawsuit.The alleged victim, identified in court papers as John Doe 1, seeks an unspecified amount in damages and a jury trial for an incident he claims happened Jan. 4, 2007.
The lawsuit alleges retired Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze touched and kissed private parts of his body while the man underwent a regimen with clonidine, a prescription medication.
Also named as defendants are the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi and the Roman Catholic Church.
Police and state prosecutors on Monday said they had not received a criminal complaint regarding the allegations.
Howze, 84, was the first black American bishop in the 20th century. He was immortalized in bronze through a commissioned sculpture after his retirement from the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi in 2001.
Howze said he can't discuss the lawsuit, but spoke through a prepared statement provided by his attorney, Joseph Hudson. In the statement, Howze said he is saddened by the allegation and denied inappropriate conduct.
"I ask for your prayers for me and for the adverse party and for the grace of Almighty God on all involved and concerned as we search for the truth through the legal system," the statement said.
The lawsuit claims the alleged incident was videotaped and accuses the diocese and the Catholic Church of conspiring to prevent criminal or civil action.
Howze's successor, Bishop Thomas J. Rodi, acknowledged the lawsuit and the videotape in a letter read at most Masses on Sunday.
Some priests made reference to the letter and offered copies to those who wanted more detail, but did not read the letter during services.
Rodi was not available for comment Monday, a diocese representative said.
In the letter, Rodi said, "The video, without any audio, does not clearly indicate what actually happened. When this video first came to my attention... we promptly reported the matter to the District Attorney. At no time was any effort made to hide the matter."
District Attorney Cono Caranna said the plaintiff's attorneys were encouraged to contact his office, "but we never heard from him or his lawyers."
Attorney Edward Gibson filed the lawsuit in Circuit Court in Gulfport on Jan. 4. He filed an amended lawsuit Monday. Gibson did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The lawsuit identifies the alleged victim as a 50-year-old married man who lives in a FEMA trailer in Gulfport. The lawsuit claims the video camera was set up in his residence "to chronicle his recovery for family members."
The lawsuit claims the alleged abuse occurred while Howze was present for spiritual help during a drug treatment session. It claims the plaintiff was unable to prevent the alleged touching because he "was under the influence of clonidine or other narcotic."
Defendants sued in Circuit Court typically have 30 days to respond to a complaint once they have been served with the complaint.
Attorney Kevin Necaise, representing the diocese and the Catholic Church, said his clients have not been served with the legal documents.
What is clonidine?
Clonidine, also known as catapres, comes as a tablet, a patch or an injectable, and is FDA-approved for treating high blood pressure. It is also used in treatment for alcohol and opioid (heroin, morphine, codeine, Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin) addiction to alleviate some withdrawal symptoms.
Psychiatric side effects are rare but include depression, visual and auditory hallucinations, vivid dreams and drowsiness. Clonidine may itself be abused as it can mimic the effect of opiates, or when taken along with opiates, intensify their effects.
The most common side effects are dry mouth, dizziness and drowsiness.
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