Nephew leaps to defence of Bishop after resignation

DUBLIN (IRELAND)
The Independent

By Jerome Reilly

March 4, 2018

John McAreavey, the widower of Michaela Harte, has defended his uncle, Bishop John McAreavey, who resigned as Catholic Bishop of Dromore last Thursday.

The bishop resigned from the diocese, which includes parishes in Antrim, Armagh and Down, following controversy over his decision to officiate more than 15 years ago at the funeral of a priest who was a known child abuser.

It followed a BBC Spotlight programme broadcast last month on Fr Malachy Finnegan, who spent most of his ministry at St Colman’s College in Newry and who was the subject of 12 allegations of serious sexual abuse.

The programme also investigated the Church’s response to those allegations.

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