|
Listen now
|
The Vatican is now investigating allegations of a lockdown ‘sex party’ in the priest’s quarters at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Newcastle, UK, according to The Sunday Times.
“A number of complaints were made by individuals within the diocese after information came to light about a sex party taking place in the priests’ living quarters attached to Newcastle cathedral,” a diocese source told the outlet. A second source said: “The cathedral had become a laughing stock.”
And in a letter seen by the Times, the investigation has been assigned to the Archbishop of Liverpool, who’s been ordered to produce “an in-depth report into the events leading up to Bishop Byrne’s resignation.”
There is no suggestion that Byrne, who served both Hexham and Newcastle, participated in the alleged party inside a property adjoining St. Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle, curing the Covid-19 lockdowns, nor whether he was aware of it.
The churches had remained closed for much of the pandemic lockdowns, with only religious funerals allowed. But Father Micael McCoy, who Byrne installed in 2019, is said to have approached several worshippers, asking if they would like to attend “a party” at the cathedral, according to a source close to the investigation.
McCoy notably committed suicide in April 2021 after finding out that he was under investigation by Northumbria police’s child and adult protection department over a historical child sex abuse allegation made against him (there it is).
And in another related pedo investigation, the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) will focus on convicted sex offender, Father Tim Gardner, and his relationship with the diocese. Gardner admitted in a London court to making and/or possessing thousands of indecent images of children.
“He was caught with more than 500 pictures of children and more than 5,000 prohibited images downloaded on to his computer. Gardner, aged 42 at the time, who was teaching religious education at a Catholic school in north London, also pleaded guilty to ten counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possession of prohibited images. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years,” according to The Times.
Gardner was allegedly offered an opportunity to stay at the ‘orgy’ accommodation within the Newcastle diocese after his conviction, a move which senior figures within the diocese stepped in to block, according to allegations contained in the report.