Cloyne child protection officer resigns in dispute with bishop

The child protection officer in Cloyne diocese has resigned, in a dispute with Bishop of Cloyne William Crean.

Bill Meagher, who held the position, disagreed with the bishop's inaction in allowing a man laicised from the priesthood last January to continue saying Mass privately, while it was established whether the former priest had a right to appeal the decision to defrock him to Rome for a second time.

When Bishop Crean did not immediately stop the man saying Mass, Mr Meagher resigned.

In a statement late on Friday evening, Bishop Crean said the case involved “a former priest of the diocese who, after a trial and appeal under canon law, was dismissed from the clerical state with effect from January 2015”.

This meant that the former cleric could not act as a priest in any way.

The bishop said that when Mr Meagher met the former priest last June as part of his duties, he discovered that the man was still celebrating Mass at his home.

The former priest said he was acting on the advice of a canon lawyer who, unknown to Bishop Crean, “had further appealed the penalty of dismissal from the priesthood to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in Rome”.

‘Not legitimate’

In his statement, Bishop Crean said he believed “this recourse was not legitimate.

“However, I believed that no further action by me was possible until I received notification from the CDF. This led to Mr Meagher resigning, as he did not agree with my position.”

The bishop was subsequently assured that no further appeal was possible in the case.

He contacted the man and told him he could not act as a priest “in any manner whatsoever”.

Mr Meagher's deputy, Fr Patrick Winkle, accompanied him to the meeting with the former priest last June.

Fr Winkle has been appointed as Cloyne’s new child protection officer on an interim basis, Bishop Crean said.

Ger Crowley, director of safeguarding in Limerick diocese, has been appointed to support him.

Two weeks ago, it emerged that Bishop Crean advised the parish pastoral council of Killeagh parish in Cloyne to withdraw an invitation to Fr Tony Flannery to speak at a local community hall later this month.

Fr Flannery is currently under suspension from public ministry in a dispute with the CDF in Rome.

Cloyne diocese covers east Co Cork.