NB Mayor Upset by Charged Bishop Staying in Town, CTV, October 3, 2009

N.B. Mayor Upset by Charged Bishop Staying in Town

CTV
October 3, 2009

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091003/lahey_town_091003/20091003?hub=Canada

The mayor of Rogersville, N.B., is upset that Raymond Lahey, the Roman Catholic Bishop facing child-pornography charges in Ontario, will be staying in the small town while he waits for his trial.

Raymond Lahey, former bishop of the Diocese of Antigonish, arrives at the Ottawa airport on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009.

"I'm none to pleased about it. I wish the Church would have found another place for him to go," Mayor Bertrand Leblanc told CTV Atlantic. "He's in my backyard. I don't like it at all."

Under the conditions of Lahey's bail, he must stay in Rogersville and must check in with police twice a week. He is staying in a monastery.

While Leblanc says he believes in "innocent until proven guilty," he says the charges are very serious and there should have been stricter conditions on Lahey's bail.

A number of residents told CTV Atlantic off-camera that they too were uncomfortable with Lahey's presence in their community.

Lahey, 69, was charged with possession and importing child pornography on Sept. 15 after his laptop was seized by border guards at the Ottawa airport.

His next court appearance is on Nov. 4.

Lahey was the bishop for the archdiocese of Antigonish, N.S., for six years when he resigned unexpectedly last weekend. He recently oversaw a historic $15 million settlement with victims of sex abuse from priests.

None of the charges against him have been proven in court.