Vatican overturns bishop’s dismissal of priest

THE Vatican has come to the defence of a priest, convicted of a firearm offence, who was removed from his ministry by the Bishop of Cork and Ross, John Buckley.

Fr James Davern, a priest of the diocese who was ordained in 1984, has not held a clerical appointment since June 1998. He has reiterated claims that he was sexually abused by a priest of the diocese over 40 years ago.

The decision by thebishop to remove Fr Davern from his ministry has been overturned by the Vatican’sCongregation of Clergy.

It said the bishop made no attempt to summarise the reasons behind his decree and it was therefore invalid.

The diocese said it will not restore Fr Davern’s income nor pay him all the money he would have earned since 1998. Fr Davern is not an employee of the diocese in Irish law and never has been, the bishop stated.

In January of 1998, the bishop ordered Fr Davern to move from the Glenville/Watergrasshill parish where he was a curate to accommodation for priests out of ministry. Fr Davern refused and hisincome was severed.

In a detailed statement last night, the bishop said: “A long list of highly publicised incidents of conflict between Fr Davern and parishioners arose in successive parishes. These included a court conviction in 1999 for threatening use of a fire-arm against a member of the faithful.”

Bishop Buckley said at that time he believed Fr Davern would benefit from a sabbatical.

“Fr Davern informed his parish priest that he was taking compassionate leave in 1997 so that he could place himself under appropriate medical and hospital care. Following his discharge from hospital, Fr Davern was unhappy with arrangements offered to him to allow him further time to recover and rest.

“Repeated attempts were made by Bishop Buckley to engage with him but these efforts were rebutted. Fr Davern has for several years refused to meet with the bishop in an appropriate pastoral environment and instead has communicated with the bishop through the offices of nine different firms of solicitors.”

On claims by Fr Davern that his allegations of sexual abuse were not properly dealt with, the bishop stated: “Fr Davern alleges that he made a report to the diocese concerning child sexual abuse and that it was not properly dealt with. His allegation is false and without basis in fact.

“A number of years after Fr Davern had ceased ministry, he complained to the gardaí that he was physically assaulted when he was 18 years of age in a school owned by the diocese when he attended the school in the 1960s. This allegation was also made by him to the Laffoy Commission who did not entertain it.”

This complaint, the bishop stated, was investigated by the gardaí and Bishop Buckley said he cooperated fully with this investigation. No prosecution followed.

The bishop said he was fully committed to the policies and guidelines of the Catholic Church regarding complaints of this nature.