On Thursday I reported the diocese of Waterford and Lismore to the Garda and the Irish Charities Regulator.
Waterford is registered as Charity Number 20010751.
The Regulator has the power to investigate any irregularities with regard to a charity’s funds.
It also has the power to investigate misbehaviour or failure of duty on behalf of the charity’s trustees
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*** I have been informed that the Garda in Waterford have already begun an investigation.
Therefore we must be circumspect about how much we say.
ALPHONSUS CULLINAN, as bishop, is the senior trustee of this charity.
He is also the one who is accused of keeping the theft of the € 70,000 from the authorities and allowing the priest to pay the money back secretly over a 14 year period.
THE € 17,700 IN GER FITZGERALD’S BANK ACCOUNT.
EMAIL TO CLARE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Chief Superintendent Colleran,
I am corresponding with you about a possible serious matter in your division.
Am amount of € 17,700 was sitting in a bank account belonging to the Reverend Ger Fitzgerald of Ennis, currently residing at Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Limerick.
A close friend of Rev Fitzgerald – a Mr Xxxxx Xxxxxx currently residing at Sixmilebridge Co. Clare- telephone number 087 90 XXXXXX – claims that the money does not belong to Rev Fitzgerald but to another party.
Mr Xxxxxx says that he has given all the information about this money to Bishop Fintan Monahan of Ennis.
My Xxxxxx claims that the money is no longer in the Rev Fitzgerald’s account.
I have no idea where the money currently is.
It is my hope that Bishop Monahan has informed the Garda of this situation?
My fear is that the money might be the proceeds of crime?
Sincerely yours,
(Bishop) Pat Buckley
0044 7488 374364
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I’ve also been informed that the Garda looking into this matter.
PAT SAYS
Very often on this blog we concentrate on the sexual scandals and corruptions in the RCC.
But we must never forget that financial corruption is at least as common as sexual corruption in the RCC. In fact financial corruption may be even more common.
We have the two cases above under consideration currently.
In Down and Connor some time ago Fr ConlethByrne was convicted of giving a woman £ 145,000 from the parish of Loughlinisland.
He was given a suspended sentence and went to live in Portglenone Cistercian Monastery.
Fr Byrne died earlier this month. RIP.
There have been many cases of priests around the globe stealing small and very large sums of church money.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 