CNN
updated 11:36 AM EDT, Sun April 29, 2012
By Peter Taggart, for CNN
- Father Martin McVeigh says he showed “offending imagery” to parents
- Parents said they were “horrified” and demanded action against him
- He will take a sabbatical leave before returning to another parish
- The Irish Catholic Church is accused of abusing children over many decades
KILIAN DOYLEA Catholic priest from Co Tyrone who “inadvertently” displayed gay pornographic images to a group of parents and a child has issued an unreserved apology.
The images were shown on a screen by Fr Martin McVeigh, the parish priest of Pomeroy, during a PowerPoint presentation at St Mary’s Primary School about children’s first Confession on March 26th.
The images were on a memory stick he had stuck into a laptop he was using.
In a statement today, Fr McVeigh said he “deeply” regrets his failure to check his presentation in advance.
“I had no knowledge of any offending imagery existing in it. After the images were inadvertently shown, I immediately removed the memory stick from the laptop,” he said. “In my shock and upset and in my concern to ensure that the images would never be shown again, I destroyed it later that evening.”
There was no suggestion that the images were of minors or in any way illegal.
Fr McVeigh said he accepts the incident was very serious and caused much anxiety and distress.
“I apologise unreservedly for the hurt caused. I want to assure you, however, that I was not responsible for the presence of the offending images and in this respect I ask you to accept my innocence.”
Fr McVeigh said he has asked the Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Seán Brady, for permission to leave the parish and take sabbatical leave. “The memory of this awful episode will remain with me for the rest of my life,” he said
In a statement, Dr Brady said he had agreed to the request “on the understanding that he will, on its completion, return to the diocese”.
He also apologised for the incident, which he described as “traumatic” for both the parish and for Fr McVeigh.
Since the incident, the laptop in question has been reported stolen from Fr McVeigh’s house. The PSNI have appealed to the public for information to help establish the circumstances behind the theft.
Dr Brady said two other computers in the sacristy and computer equipment in the parish office and Fr McVeigh’s parochial house had been examined as part of a diocesan inquiry. “These have been forensically examined by an independent technical expert and no inappropriate imagery has been found,” he said.
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Father Martin McVeigh in ‘indecent images’ row requests leave
BBC New Northern Ireland
29 April 2012 Last updated at 08:01 ET
Last Updated: Sunday, April 29, 2012, 18:10
Father Martin McVeigh said he had no knowledge of the images
A Catholic priest who “inadvertently” showed indecent images during a presentation at a primary school in County Tyrone has asked to take sabbatical leave.
Father Martin McVeigh projected the images onto a screen during a meeting for parents in Pomeroy in preparation for First Holy Communion on 26 March.
One child was present. Parents said 16 indecent images of men were displayed.
The priest said he had no knowledge of the offending imagery.
The incident occurred during a meeting at St Mary’s School in Pomeroy.
In a statement which was read out to parishioners on Sunday, Fr McVeigh said he had asked Cardinal Sean Brady to allow him to leave the parish of Pomeroy and to take sabbatical leave.
He said the last month had been “the most difficult of my life”.
“I deeply regret my failure to check, in advance, my presentation,” he said.
The priest explained how he had immediately removed the memory stick from the laptop.
“In my shock and upset and in my concern to ensure that the images would never be shown again, I destroyed it later that evening,” he added.
Fr McVeigh reiterated his innocence and said he recognised the incident “was very serious in nature” and had “caused much anxiety and distress”.
“I apologise unreservedly for the hurt caused,” he said.
“I want to assure you however, that I was not responsible for the presence of the offending images and in this respect I ask you to accept my innocence.”
Cardinal Brady said he had agreed to the request for leave on the understanding that Fr McVeigh would return to the diocese.
He said the diocese would now work to ensure that procedures and policies were put in place for the proper monitoring and use of computers in parishes.
Cardinal Brady also explained that there had been an investigation into the computers used by Fr McVeigh.
“These have been forensically examined by an independent technical expert and no inappropriate imagery has been found,” he said.
“However an additional laptop, which was located in the sacristy, was stolen in the period following the 26 March meeting with parents.
“This stolen laptop did not form part the technical examination and its theft was reported to the PSNI.”
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Priest apologises over gay porn
Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Sean Brady: described incident as ‘traumatic’ for parish and priest involved
iriwshtimes.com
29 April 2012
KILIAN DOYLE
A Catholic priest from Co Tyrone who “inadvertently” displayed gay pornographic images to a group of parents and a child has issued an unreserved apology.
The images were shown on a screen by Fr Martin McVeigh, the parish priest of Pomeroy, during a PowerPoint presentation at St Mary’s Primary School about children’s first Confession on March 26th.
The images were on a memory stick he had stuck into a laptop he was using.
In a statement today, Fr McVeigh said he “deeply” regrets his failure to check his presentation in advance.
“I had no knowledge of any offending imagery existing in it. After the images were inadvertently shown, I immediately removed the memory stick from the laptop,” he said. “In my shock and upset and in my concern to ensure that the images would never be shown again, I destroyed it later that evening.”
There was no suggestion that the images were of minors or in any way illegal.
Fr McVeigh said he accepts the incident was very serious and caused much anxiety and distress.
“I apologise unreservedly for the hurt caused. I want to assure you, however, that I was not responsible for the presence of the offending images and in this respect I ask you to accept my innocence.”
Fr McVeigh said he has asked the Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Seán Brady, for permission to leave the parish and take sabbatical leave. “The memory of this awful episode will remain with me for the rest of my life,” he said
In a statement, Dr Brady said he had agreed to the request “on the understanding that he will, on its completion, return to the diocese”.
He also apologised for the incident, which he described as “traumatic” for both the parish and for Fr McVeigh.
Since the incident, the laptop in question has been reported stolen from Fr McVeigh’s house. The PSNI have appealed to the public for information to help establish the circumstances behind the theft.
Dr Brady said two other computers in the sacristy and computer equipment in the parish office and Fr McVeigh’s parochial house had been examined as part of a diocesan inquiry. “These have been forensically examined by an independent technical expert and no inappropriate imagery has been found,” he said.
The laptop he used has disappeared?
Stolen???!!!!!
He destroyed the memory stick?
And then his laptop has been stolen?
Really??????
Sylvia, do these people think we are really that stupid and naive to believe this pathetic story?
A very telling tribute to the on-going mentality of some members of the Church leadership. I wonder if Archbishop Martin would have something to say? Mike
Archbishop Martin is a different diocese Mike, I therefore doubt that we will hear anything from him on this one.
In light of all the recent scandals, it’s obvious why the priest wishes to take a sabbatical.
Whether innocent or guilty, it is another example of the problems that exist with the male dominated clergy. If the memory stick had indeed been a bad joke or planted by someone who wanted to discredit the priest, obviously the priest would have gone to no ends to have fingerprints taken of the stick or gone to the police or made a public out cry himself of the issue and problem and what someone was trying to do….in light of recent scandals.
Or if it was just a very horrible joke someone played on him,you think the priest would have gotten to the bottom of this. I mean how many people were there and who had access to his computer before the presentation. etc etc. Now all the evidence has been destroyed…..(more lies probably)
No, I’m afraid this is just another Bishop Lahey experience…being caught at the wrong …or should I say “right” time.
Prayer and pennance……? Hmmmm……I hope Cardinal Brady recognizes the issue and this Fr Mc Veigh deals with his issue of homosexuality. And by ‘deal’, I mean accept it, live it, get therapy to analyse his life, and accept the fact that either the priesthood is still for him or not.
There is a whole greater issue here than the slides on a disk….as bad as that all was. Do you agree?
I still wonder what he did for the 20 minutes after he bolted from the room? Is it possible that he was off getting rid of incriminating evidence?
That aside, and in answer to your question MickeMc, I think that to go the next step of “greater issues” we must first know for a fact that the porn was the property of Father McVeigh. I would hope that Cardinal Brady is looking into his too, but I see nothing which assures me that that is the case.
*All laptops, computers of clergy should be checked regulary by an independent source.
*Sad to say, the Cardinal Brady who seems to vouch for both Father McVeigh and his hardware is the same Cardinal Brady who is today sweating his way through interviews insisting that he did no wrong and that therefore there is no need for him to resign.