Vatican to probe 'lockdown sex party' at British cathedral, as bishop resigns
22 January 2023, 11:08
The Vatican has launched an extraordinary investigation into a "sex party" held on the property of a British cathedral during the Covid-19 lockdown.
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Catholic leaders are looking into the sex party as part of a wider inquiry into the circumstances around the resignation of Robert Byrne, who stepped down as bishop of Hexham and Newcastle in December.
Archbishop of Liverpool, leading the investigation, said the Pope’s advisers have asked him to put together “an in-depth report into the events leading up to Bishop Byrne’s resignation”, according to the Sunday Times.
“A number of complaints were made by individuals within the diocese after information came to light about a sex party taking place in the priests’ living quarters attached to Newcastle cathedral,” a source told the paper. There is no suggestion Bisho Byrne took part in or was present at the sex party.
Another source told the paper that before the bishop resigned “the cathedral had become a laughing stock.”
Bishop Byrne told his congregation as he stood down that he had been wondering: “What does the Lord require of me?”, and decided his position had become “too great a burden”.
He became bishop in 2019, replacing the popular Father Dermott Donnelly, the older brother of Declan Donnelly, of Ant and Dec fame and was hugely popular, with Father Michael McCoy.
The Sunday Times reported that during lockdown, when churches were largely closed, McCoy asked several people them if they would like to come to “a party” at the cathedral.
McCoy later committed suicide in April 2021 after learning that Northumbria Police were investigating an allegation of historic child sexual abuse against him.
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Another investigation, led by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA), has been launched into the relationship between convicted sex offender Fr. Tim Gardner and the diocese.
Gardner, who was given a suspended prison sentence for making and possessing child sexual abuse images, was allegedly offered to stay at church-owned accommodation in the Newcastle diocese after being found guilty.
Senior figures in the diocese allegedly stepped in to prevent this. A letter from the Archbishop of Liverpool said that the investigation would look into "clergy former and present, staff former and present, lay volunteers former and present, victims as appropriate”.
The inquiry would “focus on culture and governance arrangements around the safeguarding process”.
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The Archbishop said: “I have been asked by the Dicastery for Bishops to prepare an in-depth report into the events leading up to Bishop Byrne’s resignation.
The CSSA confirmed that it had begun its “unscheduled safeguarding audit” in Hexham and Newcastle on Thursday.
Chief executive Steve Ashley added: “The scope of the investigatory work will cover any reported abuses, alleged abuses, safeguarding concerns and the culture of safeguarding in the diocese as a whole.”
He said the CSSA’s work was “independent” and had “full autonomy over our findings”.
The former chief prosecutor for the northwest of England, Nazir Afzal, chairman of the CSSA, added: “There should be no doubt that we will leave no stone unturned when it comes to keeping people safe, and this includes investigating the safeguarding culture in Hexham and Newcastle.”
“Diocesan trustees have met and have had contact with the chief executive and representatives of the CSSA this week,” a spokesman for Hexham and Newcastle diocese said, adding that they had invited the CSSA to investigate.
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“The review is now under way. Prior to Bishop Byrne’s resignation in mid-December, trustees were working with the Charity Commission, following their self-referral to that organisation,” the spokesman said.
The diocese said it remained “fully committed” to safeguarding as an “integral part of the life and the ministry of the church”.
A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: “A charity should be a safe and trusted environment. As regulator, we are clear that keeping people safe should be a priority for all charities.
“We are aware of potential governance and safeguarding concerns at the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. We have opened a regulatory compliance case and are engaging with the trustees.”
