A Catholic bishop has said he regrets officiating at the funeral of a priest he knew had been accused of sexual abuse at a Co Down school.
Dr John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore, said his decision to say the funeral Mass of Malachy Finnegan in 2002 was "wrong".
Fr Finnegan taught in St Colman's College in Newry from 1967 to 1976 and was president of the college from 1976 to 1987.
The school has now removed the priest's image from its photographs. Around 10 have been 'airbrushed' and are being put back on display.
The decision was taken last October after the board of governors was informed that the Diocese of Dromore had reached a settlement with one of 12 abuse victims.
Fr Finnegan was never prosecuted for sexual abuse, but allegations were investigated in 2011 by the Catholic Church's clerical abuse watchdog, the National Board for Safeguarding Children.
It is understood settlements have previously been reached with other victims, while some have yet to be concluded.
The Dromore diocese said the first allegation against Fr Finnegan came to light in 1994, seven years after he left St Colman's College.
Bishop McAreavey had provided pastoral support to the victim at the time.
A second allegation was made in 1998 and was not related to his tenure at St Colman's, while no further allegations emerged until after Fr Finnegan's death in January 2002.
In a statement yesterday, Bishop McAreavey said: "Since becoming bishop in 1999 everything I have learned about the abuse of victims I have learned from victims.
"It is their testimonies and their stories which have impacted most on me. It is through their perspective that I realised that my decision to say the funeral Mass of Malachy Finnegan in 2002 was the wrong one.
"In November 2002 a victim told me how hurt he was by this, I realised that I had made an error of judgement. It is something I regret and will not repeat."
He added: "As bishop, I am conscious of the need for many victims of abuse to receive acknowledgement, an apology, counselling and indeed compensation.
"With the assistance the diocesan director of safeguarding and other advisers I do my best to meet their needs."
Bishop McAreavey said the National Board for Safeguarding Children conducted an independent audit of all allegations against priests in the diocese from 1975 to 2011.
He said that although it was outside of the audit's remit, he asked the safeguarding board to also review the cases of three deceased priests, including Fr Finnegan.
Bishop McAreavey described the actions of the former teacher as "abhorrent, inexcusable and indefensible".
"From 1994 to 2016 there have been a total of 12 allegations of abuse against him. He has caused hurt, which in some cases may never be healed. He has devastated families, including his own, and his former colleagues also feel betrayed by his behaviour," he said.
"We speak about abuse cases as being historical but we must never lose sight of the reality that the legacy of abuse lives on for victims and for them it is all too present. I ask you to pray for them and their families.
"As always, I encourage anyone who feels that they may have been abused in a church context to come forward and receive the support they are entitled to."
