All For Love

The 1988 installation of Eugene Marino as U.S. Roman Catholicism's first black Archbishop was a proud moment for Atlanta and the church. But last May the Archbishop, 56, suddenly went on leave; a spokesman blamed "cardiac stress" and exhaustion. In July, Marino became one of the few Archbishops ever to resign, saying he needed "spiritual renewal, psychological therapy and medical supervision." Last week, however, the archdiocese confirmed reports that the real problem was Marino's involvement with Vicki Long, 27, through most of his brief reign.

James Lyke, a black bishop from Cleveland whom the Pope made interim administrator of the archdiocese, told reporters of an "intimate relationship," but a colleague was blunter with the Atlanta Constitution: "Love got the best of him." The entanglement was bizarre because the year before the Archbishop came to town, Long had filed a $2.3 million paternity suit against a Georgia priest. Long, an active Catholic and Eucharistic minister living in suburban Riverdale, is described as a singer. Though blood tests ruled out the priest's paternity, the Savannah diocese reportedly agreed to give Long financial support. The case is still pending.

Breaking the scandal, Atlanta's WAGA-TV reported that Marino and Long attended social functions together and that Marino named Long as beneficiary in a flight-insurance policy. WAGA-TV also said Marino helped Long buy a house and paid her $1,500 a month in living expenses. Although Marino's pay is $1,500 a month, Lyke assured Catholics that "no church money has been used" to aid Long, except for unspecified amounts for medical bills. The relationship is over, said Lyke, who offered no details on a new legal claim by Long against the church.

In a fast-track career, Marino was the first black to hold the No. 2 post in a religious order, and then he became auxiliary bishop of Washington. Lyke said a tip to the Vatican pro-nuncio last April led to a church investigation and Marino's resignation. Though Lyke defended church officials' performance, the cover-up does little to inspire confidence, and the episode again raises questions about celibacy. Moreover, the loss of Marino is a serious blow for a church eager to stem alienation among blacks.