Church knew of abuse allegations against former priest
The New Zealand Catholic Church upheld complaints of abuse made against a priest almost a decade before his ‘defrocking’.
The Waikato Times has obtained a letter sent in June 2015 - almost a decade before the priest’s 2024 ‘defrocking’ - in which then Bishop of Hamilton Steve Lowe also notes a second abuse claim had a “remarkable similarity” to an earlier, not upheld complaint.
The Waikato Times first revealed the former priest, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been accused of rape by a woman we called Cathy to protect her identity in October last year.
It was also revealed that he faced complaints from more than one woman before he was “removed from the Clerical State” this year.
The Waikato Times also tracked down the man to a Bay of Plenty address, where he denied the accusations levelled against him, describing them as “all created”.
In a later statement his lawyer said “all allegations are strongly denied”.
His lawyer said police had investigated the allegations and “no Police charges were laid”.
“In any event, the person who these allegations focus on, is now elderly, retired and wants to live a private life with dignity.”
The 2015 letter from Lowe said a 2012 complaint was made against the man “for sexualising a pastoral encounter”.
That complaint was investigated but not upheld, and a further complaint was made in 2014 and the man “removed from priestly duties”.
“It was also noted that there was a remarkable similarity between this and the earlier complaint,” Lowe said.
“Both complaints involved women.” The letter noted the second complaint was upheld, and he was told there was “no longer any office available to him within the Hamilton Diocese”.
“I did, however, grant him the concession to continue to celebrate Mass with the priests at the Tyburn Monastery”. However, further complaints followed. “I received another letter from concerned parishioners about Father [priests name]. They mentioned behaviour at Tyburn Monastery that was unbecoming of a priest and the letter also indicated to me that he had acted in a manner directly disobedient to restrictions I had earlier placed on him.” Lowe also revealed in the letter that more than once he urged the priest to “return home to [country of origin]”.
“Again I offered to provide an airfare.” The letter also revealed the man said he planned to launch legal action against Lowe, something the Bishop of Hamilton Richard Laurenson earlier told the Waikato Times delayed his removal.
“In recent days I have heard that he is telling people ‘his supporters do not give enough towards his legal expenses’”.
Lowe ends the letter, addressed to ‘Brothers and Sisters in Christ’ by saying he told the priest he continued to “hold him in my prayers”.
“And I invite you to join me in doing this too.”
In a written response to questions from the Waikato Times Laurenson confirmed legal action launched by the man stymied the process of his removal from the Church.
“It immediately brought about a stream of civil litigation, which froze everything,” he said.
“Everything Church end was stopped until this was sorted at the Civil Law end.”
He also said that “contrary to popular belief, a Bishop has very little real power to do much”.
“Especially if the cleric employs civil lawyers to fight the situation.”
“We rely on the compliance of our priests and the people. If lay people accept a Bishop's statements on the matter and do not give a censured priest the funds to fight the Bishop, we would not be in the situation we find ourselves in today.”
Numerous requests for comment to the Vatican have been unanswered.
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