Most Rev’d Jude T. Okolo
Titular Archbishop of Novica
Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Ireland
The Apostolic Nunciature
183 Navan Road, Dublin 7
November 2, 2021.
Ref. Most Rev’d Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan / Dom Richard Purcell, OCSO.
Via e-mail and post.
Your Excellency,
Respectfully, I direct your attention to my letter dated November 1, 2021, addressed to Most Rev’d Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Ordinarius, Dioecesis Vaterfordiensis et Lismoriensis. The said letter is copied to you as the representative of the Apostolic See on the island of Ireland.
Objectively, the failure of Bishop Cullinan to preventively suspend by Decree, the priestly faculties of Dom Richard Purcell, OCSO, Abbas et Ordinarius of Mount Melleray Abbey in his canonical territory is a grave scandal. It is indubitable that the incumbent of Vaterfordiensis et Lismoriensis is deliberately failing to exercise his authority for the greater good of his diocese, for reasons that at the time of this writing, remain, wholly arcane.
May, I respectfully request that my letter of November 1, 2021 be assigned a protocol number and for copies of same to be consigned to the Secretariat of State via the diplomatic pouch for consideration by the following Dicasteries:
1) The Congregation for Bishops with a note that the pertinacious attitude of Bishop Cullinan in this matter is a source of outrage; and,
2) The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, with a note apprising that the Abbot General of the Cistercians, Rt. Rev’d, Dom Eamon Fitzgerald, OCSO, has acknowledged as true, and that that it was known to him; that Dom Richard Purcell had consensual anal sex with a priest (the then Fr. Neil Dargan) at Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea (Dioecesis Laoniensis), and apprise the Dicastery, this is a scandal that needs to be addressed, and, which will not be ameliorated by deliberate “inaction”.
With prayerful best wishes,
+Patrick Buckley
PAT SAYS
Readers aay tgat my letters will not be acted upon.
That is not the point.
Those of us involved in this matter knew perfectly well how the Church works, how things are ignored and how things are covered up.
When embarking on a long and difficult mission one is under no illusion.
However, one very important thing to do is to create a paper trail.
In this way people cannot say that they did not know about matters or that no one drew it to their attention.
Aslo, in Church matters, things do not change until the civil authorities are involved.
Another reason the paper trail is so important.
Houses are built a brick at a time.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 