A parish priest in the diocese of Elphin has "stepped aside" from his ministry pending the outcome of an investigation into abuse allegations against him.
The nature of the allegations was not revealed by the Bishop of Elphin, Dr Christopher Jones, who stressed that the issue of guilt or innocence had not yet been established.
The priest concerned is in his 70s. Congregations attending Masses in two neighbouring rural parishes in which the priest served were shocked when the news was broken yesterday.
A brief statement from Bishop Jones, read at the beginning of Masses on Saturday evening and yesterday morning, informed people that their priest had agreed to step aside pending the outcome of an investigation.
"It is important to stress that what is being investigated are allegations which have not been established as either true or false," the Bishop stated. Dr Jones also stressed that the fact that the priest had agreed to step aside did not imply guilt on his part.
In a statement to the media yesterday the diocesan office confirmed that in response to a request from Bishop Jones "a priest from the Elphin diocese" had agreed to step aside.
The diocese did not reveal any details of the allegations but church sources indicated that they date back several years and relate to a period when the priest was living in the United States.
A separate statement from Bishop Jones, in response to the Ferns Report, was also read at all churches in the Elphin diocese yesterday. He pointed out that words of apology to those who had been sexually abused appeared very weak and inadequate but should not be left unsaid. "Our first concern must be to reach out to victims and to ensure that what has happened must never happen again." He said this was not the time for justification or excuses but "for honest soul-searching".
It was also the time to complete the task of putting in place policies and procedures which would be subject to monitoring by independent agencies, he added.
He wanted to reassure the people of Elphin that the diocese was fully committed to the ongoing efforts to repair the harm done. Interim child protection guidelines outlining best practice procedures had been accepted by all dioceses and the diocese of Elphin was putting in place a committee which would be responsible for establishing a clear policy and code of conduct in every parish.