NORTHERN IRELAND
BBC News
Levies imposed on parishes to pay into a fund for victims of clerical sex abuse are to be abolished, the Catholic diocese of Derry has announced.
Bishop Seamus Hegarty and his diocesan priests have also decided to return all money already paid by parishioners.
It follows an emergency meeting in Londonderry to which the bishop was not invited.
He had faced criticism because he paid into the Stewardship Trust Fund without the knowledge of many parishioners.
Dr Hegarty told BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme he was raising the money through a 3% levy imposed on all parishes.
Posted by kshaw at February 25, 2005 06:33 PM