Catholic bishop who resigned after having an affair with parishioner reveals he wants to stay on as a priest

UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

By THOMAS BURROWS FOR MAILONLINE

An errant priest who resigned after admitting to having an affair with a parishioner has revealed he wants to stay in the church.

Kieran Conry, 63 resigned as the Catholic Bishop of Arundel and Brighton last weekend when the husband of the parishioner threatened to sue the church over the bishop’s relationship with the man’s estranged wife.

Despite that, the bishop said he has never thought about leaving the church.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Bishop Conry said: ‘I’ve never regretted being a priest.

I’ve never felt unhappy, I’ve enjoyed it and tried to do whatever was asked of me.

‘I’ve always gone where I’ve been sent and I hope to do the same again.’

The affair was exposed when Simon Hodgkinson hired a private detective to follow his wife, Olivia, when their marriage broke down.

A second love affair six years ago also came to light and yesterday there were claims of a third woman in his life.

The bishop decided to resign because it ‘was the easiest way to avoid further embarrassment, disappointment…and shame for the church.’

In his resignation statement he made a point of saying his actions ‘were not illegal and did not involve minors.’

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