THE administrator of Newry Cathedral, Canon Francis Brown, has stepped aside from public ministry while a historic safeguarding allegation against him is investigated.
It is unclear whether the accusation is of a sexual or physical nature and Canon Brown has said that "the details of the allegation have not so far been made known to either myself or the Diocese of Dromore".
The PSNI said that the allegation was reported last month.
Canon Brown is a native of Hilltown in Co Down and a former president of St Colman's College in Newry, which has been at the centre of historical allegations of abuse involving paedophile priest Fr Malachy Finegan.
Fr Finegan, who died in 2002, has been accused of a catalogue of sexual and physical abuse against boys on church premises and at St Colman's, where he worked from 1967 and was president from 1976 to 1987.
He was never questioned by police or prosecuted.
Earlier this year the Bishop of Dromore, John McAreavey, resigned after it emerged he celebrated Mass alongside Fr Finegan despite knowing he was a paedophile.
Bishop McAreavey had previously admitted making an "error of judgment" by officiating at his funeral Mass.
Canon Brown was himself president of St Colman's for almost a decade from the turn of the century until 2009, when he was moved from the role by Bishop McAreavey as part of the annual diocesan changes.
After a short spell filling in as the administrator of Donaghmore parish, Canon Brown took up the same post at the Newry Cathedral parish in January 2010.
In a statement, Canon Brown said that he had agreed to "step aside from my role as administrator of the parish for the time being to allow the investigation to be completed".
"In accordance with the agreed protocol I shall not be involved in ministry during that period of time," he said.
"I wish to reassure all of my parishioners, my fellow priests, deacon and religious that I look forward to a thorough and expeditious examination of this matter and I expect to return to my work in the parish in the near future.
"I hope that you will remember me in your thoughts and prayers in the weeks ahead and I look forward to returning soon to again serve you in the parish of Newry," added Canon Brown.
A statement from the Diocese of Dromore said: "The diocese and the priest are cooperating fully with this ongoing investigation and will continue to do so. The diocese cannot make further comment at this time whilst an investigation is ongoing."
A PSNI spokesman said that it is "currently investigating an historical allegation of abuse against a member of clergy in the Diocese of Dromore".
"This allegation was reported to PSNI in April 2018. As this is an ongoing investigation it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time," added the spokesman.
