Cloyne Priest Defrocked

By Kieron Wood
Sunday Business Post
March 22, 2013

http://www.businesspost.ie/#!story/Home/News/Cloyne+priest+defrocked/id/19410615-5218-514c-80a4-f04841485492

A priest of the Diocese of Cloyne has been defrocked after Church authorities upheld a number of complaints of sexual abuse of children.

A representative of the diocese today contacted the complainants who took part in the canonical trial to inform them of the verdict. A public relations issued a statement on behalf of the diocese saying that the complaints had been “upheld by a canonical penal trial” and the priest had been “dismissed from the clerical state”.

“The diocese will continue to offer counselling and pastoral support to all who have been abused, and wishes to expresses deep regret at the suffering that has been caused,” said the statement. The priest was not named. The public relations consultant for the diocese would give no further details.