The Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral has criticised the decision to refer the vote on the sale of the Bishop's Palace in Kilkenny to the Representative Church Body.
Last week, Ferns Diocesan Council narrowly voted against the proposal to sell the historic building to the Heritage Council, while the Cashel and Ossory Council voted strongly in favour.
After the meeting, the Rt Rev John Neill, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, said that it was now up to the representative body to interpret the result. However, the Dean of St Patrick's, the Very Rev Robert MacCarthy, said the proposal needed the consent of both councils.
In a letter to the Church of Ireland Gazette, Dean MacCarthy said that any discretion on the vote was expressly excluded by Section 12 of Chapter 10 of the Church of Ireland constitution. This states that the representative body may lease or sell any church property, "provided that no such sale or letting shall be met without the consent of the diocesan council of the diocese in which such property is situated."
In his letter, Dean MacCarthy predicted that the controversy was not over. "No doubt a `war of attrition' will now be waged by `the management' at both local and central level, and in this connection it is appropriate to point out that under the Local Government Planning and Development Act (1999), alterations to the interiors of listed buildings and their change of use are strictly forbidden."
The dean is a vocal critic of the plan for the palace. "It's not just an old house," he said. "It's the centre of diocesan activity and a lot of lay people feel very strongly about that."
The palace has been the residence of the Bishop of Ossory for more than 600 years.
The Representative Church Body is meeting next Tuesday, June 20th, to consider the vote.
