Ireland

Maynooth president says 'no reason to believe' student priests not living celibate lives

Monsignor Hugh Connolly, president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Monsignor Hugh Connolly, president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth

The president of Maynooth seminary has said he has "no reason to believe" there are student priests at the college not living celibate lives.

Monsignor Hugh Connolly, originally from Burren, Co Down, defended St Patrick's College following recent criticism of its practises.

There have been anonymous allegations made of gay sexual activity, use of the dating app Grindr and other misconduct at the Co Kildare seminary.

Earlier this week, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said he was "somewhat unhappy about an atmosphere that was growing" in Maynooth and had decided to send his seminarians to the Irish College in Rome instead.

However, Mgr Connolly insisted yesterday that such reports were not representative of seminary life.

Speaking to RTE radio, he said the college does "everything we can to make the culture one that is open, one that is honest and where a person very honestly prepares for a celibate lifestyle".

He said as soon as information is received that a seminarian is not abiding by a celibate way of life, the person would be challenged.

Mgr Connolly said it can happen that students can fall in love while in formation, but they can approach college staff about it.

The Co Down priest accepted that everyone was not suited suited to a life in the priesthood and said it was a "good thing" if someone chose to leave.

"One has to be completely realistic about where these people are coming from. These people are coming from the world we live in, not some unreal world and people with needs and clearly not everyone is suited to a life of celibacy," he said.

The college president also defended its complaints system, stating that procedures were "robust", but said all structures were being looked at.

Past and present students at the college have spoken about what they described as a "culture of fear".

One seminarian, who did not want to be named, told RTE the atmosphere in the seminary was "poisonous".

"I mean how can it be healthy for seminarians to be living in a situation where they fear rules, where whistleblowers are shown the door, where there exists a culture of secrecy and suspicion?"

Despite the boycott announced by Archbishop Martin, the Down and Connor diocese said earlier this week it plans to continue to send students to St Patrick's College.