NORWICH (UNITED KINGDOM)
Diocese of East Anglia [Norwich, UK]
November 22, 2024
By Keith Morris
Dennis Finbow, who once served as a priest in the Diocese of East Anglia, has had his clerical status and rights as a Catholic priest removed by Pope Francis, following his conviction last year for three historic (non-recent) child sexual abuse offences.
Bishop Peter Collins said: “As I promised when Dennis Finbow was convicted and jailed last March, the Diocese has followed the process of canon law outlined in our policies and procedures and can announce that he has now been laicised, which means that his clerical status and rights as a Catholic priest have been removed by His Holiness Pope Francis.
“We wish to reiterate our willingness to listen and support anyone affected by abuse and all victims of child sexual abuse are in my prayers. We would encourage any victim of child sexual abuse perpetrated within the Catholic Church context to make contact either directly through our Safeguarding Office or with Safe Spaces, our Victim Support Service.”
Dennis Finbow was charged in January 2022 with the offences relating to his service as a Catholic priest in Peterborough in the 1980s and 1990s.
In January 2023, Dennis Finbow was convicted by a jury at Huntingdon Crown Court of three counts of indecent assault on a child and found not guilty of the remaining three offences. In March 2023 he was sentenced to six-and-a-half-years in jail.
Dennis Finbow had been retired and not in active ministry since 2001. Prior to his retirement he had served in parishes in Peterborough and St Neots, Cambridgeshire.
Should anyone have any concerns or queries about the Dennis Finbow case then we would encourage them to contact Mick Thurley, our Diocesan Safeguarding Coordinator on 07429 215344 or he can be contacted through our website.