Abusive priest was not seen as a serious threat to children

THE commission found there was no concern shown for the protection of children in the case of a priest who received an 18-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to one of three counts of gross indecency last year.

Allegations against Fr Caden were first made in December 2004 by another priest named as “Patrick”, who said he was abused by Fr Caden when he attended a vocations workshop when he was aged about 16.

The commission found that because the complainant was a priest, both Bishop John Magee and his diocesan child abuse delegate, Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan, hoped for a reconciliation between the two.