FORMER Bishop of Dromore Francis Brooks was told unambiguously in 1995 that he was legally obliged to report allegations of child abuse by Malachy Finegan to police.
The Irish News has seen correspondence between the Church leader and a legal advisor in relation to the paedophile priest.
Finegan has been accused of sexually abusing multiple children on church premises and at St Colman's College in Newry where he was a teacher.
The Diocese of Dromore was first told of an allegation against the priest in 1994, after he had left the school.
The then Fr McAreavey was asked by Bishop Brooks to give pastoral support to the victim and he said he told his superior of his responsibility to inform authorities.
Last month, responding to questions from the BBC Spotlight programme, a spokesperson for the diocese said: "The records show that in relation to the first allegation that the then Bishop (Francis Brooks) and his legal advisor both recognised and were aware of their duty to report the matter.
"The practice of the then bishop in other cases at that time was also to report the allegations."
However, records do not show whether police were informed and PSNI has said there is no official report of abuse being reported to the then RUC.
Finnegan was secretly sent to a centre in England for the treatment of paedophile priests and allowed to return the following year and immediately abused a victim in the parochial house at Hilltown.
The Irish News has now seen the full text of the guidance sent to Bishop Brooks from his legal advisor.
It followed a meeting between the bishop, who died in 2010, and Finegan during which it is believed the priest admitted many of the allegations against him.
Dated November 9 1995, it states: "The conduct listed certainly falls within the definition of an arrestable offence and imposes an obligation to report on any person who knows or believes that such an offence has been committed or has information that could assist the police to investigate the matter.
"I am afraid that the discussion you had with the priest in question (Fr Finegan) puts you in that position."
