Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is sharply criticizing a large payout to his accusers after U.S. investigators and the Holy See found no evidence to support allegations of abuse against him. “I did not authorize these settlements because I did not abuse anyone,” DiMarzio said, pointing out that an “exhaustive two-year canonical investigation” cleared his name and further that he “took a lie detector test and passed it.” Both accusers filed suits against DiMarzio and the Archdiocese of Newark in 2021. DiMarzio had been an auxiliary in Newark. In a statement this week, a Newark spokeswoman said the archdiocese “chose to settle the lawsuits to avoid the costs of litigation and help bring resolution to painful matters for everyone involved.”