RTE News
October 3, 2009
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1003/abuse.html
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| Raymond Lahey
Helped settle abuse claims |
A Canadian Catholic bishop who won praise from clerical abuse victims for settling claims against his diocese has surrendered to Ottawa police to face child pornography charges.
Bishop Raymond Lahey who led the diocese of Antigonish has been given bail on condition that he lives in an enclosed monastery.
The charges of possession and importation of child pornography were filed against 69-year-old Bishop Lahey eight days ago. They arose from a random police check of his laptop computer as he entered Canada from the US.
On Saturday, Pope Benedict accepted the Nova Scotia-based prelate's resignation but no mention was made of the charges.
The Bishop's surrender came a day after the authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. One of his bail conditions is that he must live at a Trappist Monastery observing its rule of almost complete silence when he is not at prayer.
Two months ago, Bishop Lahey was praised by sexual abuse victims and their lawyer after overseeing an ˆ8m settlement of claims against several priests in his diocese.
John McKiggan, who represented the victims in the class-action, said that from the beginning Bishop Lahey's handling of the sexual abuse scandal 'was extraordinary and unprecedented'. He added that none of that had changed, which was why he was shocked by the allegations against him.
Ronald Martin, the man who brought the initial charges of abuse, had praised Bishop Lahey last August for accepting diocesan responsibility and apologising. His wife said the family would not comment now about the Bishop.
Pope Benedict has asked Canada's hierarchy to do what it can to alleviate the shock, according to the spokesman for Antigonish diocese. Fr Abbas described the case as 'devastating' and 'a tragedy'.
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