AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
By JOANNE McCARTHY June 10, 2014
HUNTER Catholic priest Des Harrigan has resigned from his Taree parish after controversy over his appearance at the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry in Newcastle.
Father Harrigan declined to comment on Monday, but a spokeswoman for Maitland-Newcastle Bishop Bill Wright confirmed the resignation.
It followed an angry response from Taree parishioners after the bishop wrote a letter urging them to forgive the “repentant” priest because “there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than 99 just people”.
Bishop Wright, named as a possible replacement for Cardinal George Pell in the Sydney archdiocese, reinstated Father Des Harrigan to Taree parish in September last year despite noting the likelihood of “concern and distress” among some parishioners about the priest’s conduct.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.