Scottish Registered Charity No. SC011041
Rt Rev. Joseph Toal STB KC*HS
Bishop of Motherwell
11th August 2017
Letter to the Clergy and Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Motherwell
Dear Fathers, Deacons, and Lay Faithful of the Diocese,
UPDATE ON THE CASE OF FR MATTHEW DESPARD.
I have been asked in recent times by various people, clergy and lay, to say something about the
situation regarding Fr Matthew Despard. I write this letter, therefore, to record what has happened
and what the present situation is.
The canonical trial of Fr Despard for crimes associated with the publication of his book Priesthood in Crisis concluded with a Decision given by the Apostolic Court of the Roman Rota, to which Fr Despard had appealed after the Decision reached by the Inter-Diocesan Court of the Catholic Church in Scotland.
The Decision of the Roman Rota partly affirmed and partly reversed or “reformed” the Decision made by the Scottish Tribunal.
The decision on appeal confirmed that Fr Despard had committed the crime of defamation and he was required to remove the defamatory book from the
Internet and from all other selling or distribution sites whether real or virtual, or at least, in the
judgement of his Bishop do all that he reasonably could to this end. I accept that Fr Despard has
fulfilled this requirement.
For the duration of the canonical trial Fr Despard retained the office of PP of St John Ogilvie’s, High
Blantyre, but was placed on administrative leave in accordance with the law.
Once the trial concluded, and in the light of all that had happened, I then determined it necessary to
initiate an investigation to establish whether Fr Despard should be removed as Parish Priest of the
Parish of St John Ogilvie, High Blantyre, in accord with the Code of Canon Law.
From the serious evidence gathered I concluded that Fr Despard be requested to resign as Parish Priest of St John Ogilvie’s. He agreed to do so and I accepted his resignation.
Fr Despard has requested that he now be allowed to return to public priestly ministry by being given
a new pastoral assignment in the Diocese of Motherwell.
Conscious of my canonical obligation to ensure that a person nominated to an ecclesiastical office possesses the required suitability for that
office, and having consulted the Motherwell Diocesan Consultors, I have asked Fr Despard to fulfil certain requirements. I await his response indicating his willingness to accept and carry out to my satisfaction these requirements.
I ask your continued prayer for Fr Despard, myself, and the Diocese of Motherwell.
———————–
FATHER H
Pat re Archdiocese of Glasgow and across Scotland. My top ten, in no particular order.
1. KOB crisis – Gilhooley and co accusers still in Ministry. Read Gilhooley’s book ‘Pajama Parade’ about sexual goings on in Scotland. He used KOB more than the other way around.
2. A serving Bishop is Scotland had a sexual relationship with KOB for several years.
3. The Parish Priest in Glasgow found with a vibro up his ass a few years back still in ministry.
4. The rent boy bribing the previous PP in St Augustines, Milton after sucking him
off in Kelvingrove Park. Retired but still does supply work.
5. The same Priest used to take in alcoholic clergy to dry them out and offered them booze in return for a BJ (wearing leathers).
6. The openly Gay high ranking Priest who has been in a sexual relationship with another Priest in next door Diocese for years, although in recent weeks they have had a tiff.
7. The same Priest attacked in a gay club and taken to a private hospital to avoid any media coverage.
8. Fr Sweeney from St Maria Goretti Parish currently suspended for trying to seduce a teenager who he was counselling.
9. The Priest from the South of Glasgow who has has seen more knob ends than I’ve seen weekends and is very promiscuous. Streams Mass on social media making out he is holier than thou.
10. The Priest in the main Cathedral who makes it know that he hates homosexuals and will always refuse absolution – clergy exempt from his rule.
Yes that’s the reality. More later!
Hi Pat,
Fresh Start Foundation represent a client who was the victim of a paedophile ring of priests in Lanarkshire from 1958 – 1961 where he was raped every school day for 4 years (700+ rapes) from the age of 8 years old by the resident priests of the diocese and by priests who were invited to visit to rape and our client was also gang-raped by priests and Brothers at a retreat called Fatima House, Symington near Kilmarnock. One of whom was Brendan Smythe and we are concerned that Coodham may have been used as a paedophiles playground within easy access of priests from Ireland , North and South and Scotland.
Our client wants nothing more than to spread the word to make sure that this does not happen to any other child and when the rapes were raised with the Catholic Church their first inclination was to cover it up.
Our client is in the process of writing his autobiography and hopefully it will help to change the way the Catholic church view children and it is clear that they need to undergo radical and fundamental change if they are to be trusted with children ever again.
There may have been as many as 14 paedophiles there and there seems to be evidence of trafficking children to Barry Bennell, another convicted paedophile.
Keep up the good work.
Take it easy,
Neil J. McKechnie
For and on behalf of
Fresh Start Foundation
PAT SAYS
It seems to me that the RCC in Scotland is in a really bad state.
Has this anything to do with KOB who spent decades involved in serious homosexual activity in both seminary and diocese?
FIRST POST COVID WEDDING AT THE ORATORY YESTERDAY.
Open air.
Maximum 5 people.
All those at the wedding travelled together in a car from Cork – one family unit.
M
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 