Suspended priest seeks reinstatement

A Scottish priest is fighting to be reinstated after his suspension led parishioners to walk out of church just before Mass.

Fr Matthew Despard was removed from his post at St John Ogilvie’s Church in High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, last weekend after publishing a controversial memoir earlier this year claiming there was a culture of homosexual bullying in the Catholic Church in Scotland.

On Saturday, just before he was due to say Mass, a statement on the suspension was read to the congregation by Bishop Joseph Toal, the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Motherwell. It sparked a walkout by parishioners, some in tears. Many in the congregation also left the following day when Bishop Toal turned up to say Sunday morning Mass.

Hugh Neilson, Fr Despard’s lawyer, told The Tablet that the priest has written to Bishop Toal asking to be reinstated. He said:“Pope Francis is talking a lot about the importance of listening to people. I believe the Scottish Catholic hierarchy should be listening to the good burghers of High Blantyre and also engage with Fr Despard about the things he has said in his book, even if they find some of the things unpalatable.”

Fr Despard, 48, published the memoir in March as an e-book on Amazon in the wake of the resignation of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who admitted instances of sexual impropriety. The book names serving priests and claims senior figures in the Church refused to confront complaints of abuse and bullying. It has since been withdrawn by Amazon.

At first it appeared that Fr Despard would not be sanctioned after the then Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Devine, issued a statement in April saying no action would be taken against him. But a spokesman for Bishop Toal said: “Since there is a canonical case in progress at the present time, Bishop Toal felt it was appropriate to remove Fr Matthew Despard from parish ministry, until the judicial process has run its course. This action does not prejudge the case in any way. Fr William Nolan of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in East Kilbride has been appointed parish administrator in the interim.”