Amazon Pull Priest's Best-Selling Book Featuring Explosive Claims about Gay Bullies in Catholic Church from Their Website
By Lauren Crooks
PRIESTHOOD in Crisis by Father Matthew Despard, which accuses church leaders of covering up powerful homosexual cliques in the Catholic church, has been axed from Amazon's Kindle store. A WHISTLE-BLOWING churchman’s best-selling book featuring explosive claims about gay bullies in the Catholic priesthood has been pulled by web giants Amazon. Priesthood in Crisis by Father Matthew Despard was released in the wake of the Cardinal Keith O’Brien scandal. The shocking account – which accuses church leaders of covering up powerful homosexual cliques in the priesthood – became an online bestseller, charting at No.125 out of 1.9 million digital books available on Amazon. But the controversial book has been axed from the website’s Kindle store. Amazon say it is no longer available because it does not adhere to their guidelines. Sources in the Catholic Church have suggested that Father Despard could face legal action from one of the subjects named in his self-published book. One claimed: “Father Despard makes allegations about a lot of named people and some of them aren’t prepared to accept their name being tarnished.” Amazon said: “This book is not available on Amazon.co.uk. All titles must adhere to our content guidelines.” Prohibited content for the site include pornography, offensive material, stolen goods and items that infringe upon a person’s privacy. Father Despard said: “I noticed it was no longer for sale on Amazon and have been in touch to ask them why. I am awaiting their response and I don’t know anything more about it.” In March, we told how the 48-year-old parish priest at St John Ogilvie in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, took the decision to write about his experiences. The book describes how he fended off advances from fellow students and priests and claimed he then became a victim of verbal abuse and bullying. He urged the church to admit there was a problem and stop covering-up for bullying, abusive priests. The revelations came just weeks after Cardinal O’Brien resigned following accusations he tried to seduce trainee priests. The Vatican confirmed last week that O’Brien, 75, had been sent into exile by Pope Francis. In a statement, they said the disgraced cleric’s move from Scotland was “for the purpose of spiritual renewal, prayer and penance.” We told last week how O’Brien’s best friend Canon John Creanor said he would be a broken man if he could not return to Scotland. He said: “The last time I spoke to the Cardinal he was utterly defeated. “He loves Scotland. He’s made his life and his name here. I can be certain that if he were denied to come back to Scotland again he would be broken.”
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