Former Weoley Castle Priest Tells of Ordeal after False Rape Claim, Birmingham Mail, February 12, 2011

Former Weoley Castle Priest Tells of Ordeal after False Rape Claim

Birmingham Mail
February 12, 2011

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/02/12/former-weoley-castle-priest-tells-of-ordeal-after-false-rape-claim-97319-28158610/

THE Catholic priest who was falsely accused of rape by a college chaplain when their relationship came to an end, has declared: "I am a victim."

Emma Templeton, of Cardinal Newman College, told police that Father Patrick Udoma, formerly of St Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Weoley Castle, had raped her.

But the 44-year-old mum-of-four from Bunbury Road, Northfield, later admitted she had lied and pleaded guilty to doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday.

She was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for a year.

Catholic priests are advised to be celibate by the church so that they can give their undivided attention to God and their work for the church. Yet Fr Udoma told police he had consensual sex with Templeton twice before their relationship ended. And when our reporter asked him about his affair with her Fr Udoma said: "I don't want to talk about any of this, please contact the Birmingham office. I am a victim in all of this."

But the Archdiocese of Birmingham's press officer Peter Jennings declined to respond to messages we left for him yesterday. Fr Udoma is currently working as a priest at Corpus Christi Church, in Langbank Avenue, Coventry, and spoke to the Mail after Mass yesterday.

Parishioners who attended the service said Fr Odoma had been at the church since September and roundly described him as a "lovely, approachable man who is always smiling".

Recorder James Burbidge QC said Fr Udoma's life had been "completely devastated" by Templeton's bogus rape claim, and that he'd lost his job and home as a result.

The priest was arrested on suspicion of rape and spent 23 hours in police custody being questioned over Templeton's allegations, last April, the court was told.

Officers also searched his home and examined his mobile phone where the found 200 text messages exchanged between the priest and Templeton in which she expressed her love and respect for him.

Catholic Church doctrine on priestly celibacy states: "All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate 'for the sake of the kingdom of heaven'.

"Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord," they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the church's minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the reign of God."