A former senior dean at St Patrick's College Maynooth, Father Gerard McGinnity, has said he was "utterly astounded" to read yesterday that Monsignor Miceál Ledwith was on a 1987 shortlist sent to Rome listing likely candidates to be Archbishop of Dublin.
Father McGinnity was responding to a report in The Irish Times which said Mgr Ledwith, against whom there have been allegations of sexual abuse, was one of the the three names nominated by the then Papal Nuncio, Dr Gaetano Alibrandi. Father McGinnity lost his job as senior dean at Maynooth in 1984 after he contacted authorities about the then vice president Mgr Ledwith's behaviour.
The priest was persuaded to take a sabbatical year immediately and was told later he would not be returning to Maynooth. He was then posted as curate to a rural parish.
In 1985 Mgr Ledwith was promoted to the presidency of St Patrick's College, a position he held until June 1995. Last year the college trustees confirmed his departure following an allegation of sexual abuse against a minor. Father McGinnity also revealed that in 1984 he had been consulted by Dr Alibrandi as to the suitability of Mgr Ledwith for a post as Bishop of Ferns. Father McGinnity conveyed the concerns being expressed about the monsignor to the nuncio.
Last night he said he was "astonished" that those concerns would appear to have been completely ignored.
He described as "incredible" a brief statement by the current Papal Nuncio, Dr Giuseppe Lazzarotto, on The Irish Times report.
Responding to questions from RTÉ, the nuncio said "there has been a grave violation of the confidentiality which always covers matters of this nature". Father McGinnity thought the response suggested the nuncio seemed "just outraged it was found out".