AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times

Timna Jacks Chris Vedelago

Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart called for Father John Walshe’s resignation long before the controversial priest stepped down, a spokesman for the Melbourne archdiocese has confirmed.

Archbishop Hart had for weeks been pressuring Father Walshe to resign from his position as Mentone-Parkdale parish priest due to a “lack of unity in the parish”, archdiocese spokesman Shane Healy said.

Mr Healy said the resignation, which was announced last week, followed a “long and complex process”, but he would not elaborate on the reason for the delay.

“It was his [Archbishop Hart’s] judgment that the parish was not running as it should,” Mr Healy said at the weekend.