See: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/catholic-whistleblower-priest-gets-sack
A Scottish Catholic priest, who has fought for 17 years to force
the hierarchy to act against a fellow priest who abused him, has been
dismissed from the diocese of Galloway while recovering from cancer and
issued with a formal warning for talking to the
Observer.
Father Patrick Lawson, who spoke out in the Observer in
July using the pseudonym "Father Michael", was sent a decree of removal
by Bishop John Cunningham last Wednesday, forcing him to hand over the
keys of his parish house within two days. The bishop had consistently
refused to accept Father Lawson's pleas, on the advice of doctors, to
drop one of his two parishes – St Paul's, Hurlford – while convalescing.
The
case is a potentially explosive development in an increasingly tense
relationship between the Scottish hierarchy and the laity over abuse and
cover-up. There is now a standoff in Father Lawson's other parish – St
Sophia's, Galston – with many parishioners telling the
Observer
that they will walk out of masses this weekend in protest, cancel their
church subscriptions, and refuse to return unless the priest is
reinstated.
Parishioner Manuela Kevan says around 200 people have
signed a petition backing the popular, hardworking priest. "We know what
this is really about."
Significantly, there are now signs of
rebellion among the clergy themselves. The Catholic church insists on
silence and obedience from its priests but Father Gerard Magee of St
Winin's in Kilwinning, has written to the papal nuncio in London,
backing Father Lawson and criticising the diocese. "What they are doing
is underhand, malicious and sinister," he writes. "They hide behind ...
canon law and, by doing so, they abuse the same law and make a mockery
of it."
Faultlines have been appearing in almost every Scottish diocese since the
resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien in February, following
Observer
revelations about sexual misbehaviour with seminarians and priests. In
the months following, the paper revealed historic abuse cases had been
mishandled in Motherwell, national audits had not been carried out, and
decades of abuse in the prestigious Catholic boarding school Fort
Augustus Abbey had been concealed. The
Observer also reported
claims of gay cliques of Scottish priests. Father Lawson's case wove
many of these strands together. He revealed that his parish priest,
Father Paul Moore, abused altar boys and also made sexual advances to
him in 1996 when he was a seminarian. Abuse-of-power sex scandals, it
seems, were not confined to O'Brien.
Father Magee says Moore also
approached him sexually but he didn't report it. Father Lawson's
removal, he believes, is punishment for going public. "They're trying to
get rid of him because he's a whistle-blower. A lot of priests don't
like him because he spoke out. I don't understand why some priests are
more intent on protecting the criminal rather than the victim."
In
recent weeks, three bishops have sought to assure Scottish Catholics of
transparency. Hugh Gilbert, bishop of Aberdeen, publicly apologised for
Fort Augustus. Glasgow's archbishop, Mario Conti, claimed that O'Brien
vetoed publication of abuse audits, but a new review would show "the
seriousness and competence" with which the church tackles abuse.
Meanwhile, Cunningham's predecessor, Maurice Taylor, who dealt with Paul
Moore, wrote to a Catholic paper defending his handling of the case.
But behind the scenes Father Lawson's case suggests secrecy, cover-up
and turmoil remain.
"From the day Father Pat got ill he was given
no support, yet they support an abuser priest," says parishioner Brigid
McMaster. "Father Moore was bought a house and is listed as a retired
priest. He should have been defrocked."
Old attitudes remain. Contacted by the
Observer
to ask if Moore should have been laicised, Taylor replied: "No, I don't
think so." You couldn't, he added, apply today's standards to
situations from 20 years ago. Is he in any doubt that it was a criminal
offence to abuse a child in 1997? "I presume it was."
Moore, it's
been claimed, was well-connected and protected. Despite publicly
insisting that they were not close, Taylor now admits he holidayed with
Moore, visiting Monsignor Peter Magee, then a Vatican diplomat. "We were
asked separately. Because we were staying together, we travelled
together."
Monsignor Magee belongs to the Galloway Diocese and now
heads the Scottish Interdiocesan Tribunal, dealing with marriage
annulments and canon law cases like Father Lawson's. "There is so much
cronyism," says one Galloway insider.
Bishop Taylor claimed he
didn't know Moore's victims. Father Lawson insists he gave names,
addresses and numbers. "I don't remember," says Taylor. Father Lawson
recalls Taylor dismissing one victim as "a nutter". "I cannot wash
myself clean of that moment," says Lawson. "It sticks in my gut."
Bishop Taylor says: "I don't think I would have used that expression. I
don't remember." One of Moores's victims, Paul Smyth, confirmed that he
has never been contacted by the church. "I would like an apology."
A
formal appeal for Father Lawson will be sent to Rome instead of the
Scottish Tribunal. Meanwhile, this weekend will be the last mass at St
Sophia's for George and Christine Gardner, parishioners for over 30
years. "Father Lawson is a calm, courteous, understanding priest. I
cannot attend mass when he has been removed," says George Gardner.
Remaining silent is no longer an option, agrees Father Gerard Magee.
"The people will speak – and let them speak."
The Catholic Church refused to comment
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