Celibacy row rages after priest fathers child

THE revelation that a Galway-based priest has resigned after fathering a child by a 31-year-old woman has re-ignited the debate about celibacy in the Church.

Father Maurice Dillane, a curate in the Woodford-Looscaun parish in east Galway, quit the Clonfert diocese after he was confronted by his bishop.

The 73-year-old priest is believed to have first met the 31-year-old mother of his child, a Dublin-based teacher, while serving in the nearby parish of Mullagh and Killoran. The baby was born late last year.

Broadcaster Fr Brian D’Arcy and well-known Manchester priest Fr Denis Maher yesterday both backed Fr Dillane and warned the Catholic Church that it was losing its best priests because they weren’t allowed to marry.

“The compulsory celibacy issue has to be addressed. I’m not saying what the conclusions will be but at least it is time that we discussed it,” Fr D’Arcy said.

“I really think that some of the absolute cream of the priesthood have been lost and I think it’s one of the reasons we are in the huge mess we’re in at the moment,” he noted.

He estimated that more than 110,000 priests have left around the world, of which 70,000 would have been leaders in the Catholic Church today.

“The man has given over 40 years to the priesthood and if he wants to move in different directions, then that’s OK with me.

“I would like to think that somebody, whatever age they are, if they fall in love with somebody who falls in love with them, and they want to have a relationship, I would not stand in the way of that.”

Fr Maher said: “Any priest who doesn’t fall in love is only half a priest.”

Just before Christmas, Bishop of Killaloe Willie Walsh voiced his opinion - which is in direct conflict with the Vatican - that celibacy was meaningless if it had a negative impact on priests and the Church.

“I have known some very fine priests who have left the priesthood because they found the challenge of celibacy not life-giving for them.

“Men like that are a great loss to the ministerial priesthood,” he said.

He said the priesthood should be open to both married and celibate priests and urged a full debate within the Church on what he described as a “very serious question”.

The Bishop of Clonfert, Dr John Kirby confirmed that a priest had admitted to him on January 6 that he had recently fathered a baby.

Justin O’Byrne, the chairman of Fr Dillane’s local pastoral council, said rumours about the baby had been circulating for a few days when he brought the matter to parish priest Fr Pat Naughten last Friday afternoon.

Bishop Kirby said he hoped the priest would be given time and space to plan for the future of the baby and mother.

He said: “On 6th January a priest on loan to the Clonfert Diocese confirmed to me that he had recently fathered a baby with an adult woman.

“Since then, I have met both the priest and the mother.

“I hope the priest, who has ceased to work in the diocese, the mother, and all those involved, be given appropriate time and space to plan for their respective futures.

“I consider this to be a private matter and as such I will make no further comment.”