This is Meenan's second sex abuse case involving the Church; the first involved a religion teacher at Fordham Prep, who reportedly sexually assaulted him in 1984. The teacher, Fernand Beck, was dismissed in 2016 after the school determined that Meenan's allegation was "credible." Meenan said Thursday that case is "pretty much handled."
The alleged victim is represented by Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney with experience representing Boston-area victims after the 2002 sexual abuse crisis. Garabedian also represented Meenan when he reported the Fordham Prep abuse in 2016.
Meenan claimed that there are Catholic priests who are "attracted to young boys" and become priests in order to have access to children. He called Jenik "a disturbed person who is a danger to young boys."
He said Cardinal Timothy Dolan did the right thing by swiftly removing Jenik from ministry, while adding that in his view the cardinal has not yet done enough. He called for Dolan to work with the government of New York to pass new laws to hold perpetrators of abuse accountable.
"There are guys in bad shape that need help," he said. "God has given you the dignity that you deserve to live by...what are we doing with the Church's money if we are not going out and rescuing people's lives?"
Jenik, who has served as pastor at Our Lady of Refuge parish since 1985, wrote in an Oct. 29 letter to his parishioners that he continues "to steadfastly deny that I have ever abused anyone at any time."
The bishop asked parishioners to pray for the person who had accused him of abuse, and "for all those who are victim-survivors of abuse."
The case will be reviewed by the Vatican, most likely at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sources say, before being passed to Pope Francis for judgment. Canon law establishes that only the pope may judge a penal matter involving a bishop, unless the pope delegates that responsibility elsewhere.
Jenik is the first active bishop to be accused of abusing a minor since more than a dozen states including New York opened investigations this fall of sex abuse and cover-ups in the Catholic Church.