An appeals court in Canada has rejected a request by the Congregation of St. Basil to dismiss a lawsuit against the congregation and its prominent member Fr. Thomas Rosica.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario issued a June 4 decision upholding a lower court’s ruling that the case against Rosica may move forward. The court ordered Rosica’s congregation to pay $14,000 in legal costs.
The lawsuit, filed in Ontario in March 2024, alleges that Rosica sexually assaulted a young priest who was helping him with preparation for the 2002 World Youth Day celebrations.
The lawsuit also charges that Rosica’s religious order, the Congregation of St. Basil, failed to properly supervise Rosica, and ignored complaints about his inappropriate interactions with young men.
Rosica, who denies the allegations, had appealed to have the lawsuit dismissed, saying the case should be addressed exclusively in a canonical court.
Attorneys for Rosica and the Basilian Fathers argued that “the Court has no jurisdiction over the subject matter of this dispute as the Plaintiff and Fr. Rosica are ordained priests and the alleged assaults occurred while they were engaged in duties on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church. Any such complaints or allegations would be governed by Canon Law. The court should defer to the ecclesiastical court and its application of Canon Law.”
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