CathNews
August 13, 2009
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15732
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A Newcastle woman's eulogy at her father's funeral was cut short by a priest, when she began repeating lines from a news report about police recommendations to charge the late Monsignor Patrick Cotter over concealing abuse allegations against priest Vince Ryan.
She has complained about the incident. She said she feels "threatened and intimidated" by a letter from Maitland-Newcastle Bishop Michael Malone (photo) about it, The Herald reports.
The woman, who isn't identified in the report, had received a personal apology from the bishop early this year after she alleged she had been sexually abused by a priest as a child.
She wrote to Bishoo Malone in June after a Newcastle priest turned off a microphone and blocked her from completing the eulogy.
The woman said she thought it appropriate to raise the matter at her father's funeral because of his longstanding concerns about Monsignor Cotter.
Bishop Malone wrote to her on July 22 about "your eulogy at your father's funeral, which caused this trouble in the first place."
He took exception to the description of Monsignor Cotter "covering up the crimes of one of Australia's worst paedophile priests," calling it "a very slanderous statement", The Herald report said.
"If you have any proof that what you publicly stated is true, then I urge you to come forward and present that proof," Bishop Malone wrote. "I know that The Newcastle Herald (sic) expressed as much, but that is not 'proof' I assure you."
Bishop Malone said he did not understand why the woman feels threatened and intimidated, and she had "hung, drawn and quartered" the monsignor.
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