“We have full confidence in the Rector, staff, and seminarians of the North American College,” the spokesman said.
The Archdiocese of New York and its archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan were also named in the suit, along with 25 persons “whose identities are not yet known.”
The suit accuses Cardinal Dolan of being complicit in the “nefarious plan” of Park, Harman, and McDonald, by accepting Harman’s directive that Gorgia leave the NAC and fulfill a parish assignment before determining if he could return to the NAC or to the archdiocesan seminary.
Joseph Zwilling, director of Communications for the Archdiocese of New York, said in a statement to CNA Feb. 4 that “the claims in this case against the Archdiocese of New York and Cardinal Dolan are absurd and have no basis in fact or law. We are prepared to defend against it, and will seek its dismissal in court.”
The NAC said in its statement that “seminarians are encouraged to report any allegations of misconduct and assured that such allegations are taken seriously.”
It added that, “unfortunately, Mr. Gorgia never made any allegation of misconduct to NAC leadership during his time as a seminarian.”
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
In his lawsuit, Georgia says he was unaware of the motives of Park, Harman, and the other defendants at the time the events took place.
The suit alleges that the motivations became clear to Gorgia “much later, upon receiving credible information” about continued alleged homosexual activity by Harman and Park and other “active homosexuality” at the seminary.
Gorgia is the organizer of a GoFundMe page entitled “Save Our Seminarians Fund,” requesting donations up to a goal of $250,000. In six months he has received donations of more than $25,000.