Irish Independent

Gay sex ring at seminary revealed in Ferns report Friday November 12th 2004 THE Catholic Church here is facing another severe blow to its authority when a damning report on the series of clerical sex scandals, which rocked the diocese of Ferns, is made public within weeks. Publication of the report has been delayed for legal reasons to allow a number of the individuals named in it to suggest amendments. But it is now expected to go to Health Minister Mary Harney before December 1. The Irish Independent has learned that among a number of other revelations, the document provides sensational details of a homosexual ring operating at St Peter's College, the closed seminary in Wexford town. Some priests are named for the first time in the report. Several not previously accused of child abuse are believed to be named. These include priests who have already died or who have since retired. Victims of priests against whom no allegations had previously been made came forward to speak to the inquiry. The inquiry, led by Mr Justice Frank Murphy, was set up by the previous Health Minister Micheal Martin after the broadcast in April 2002 of the BBC documentary 'Suing the Pope'. This focused on abuses carried out by the late Fr Sean Fortune and led to the resignation of Bishop Brendan Comiskey. Secretary of the Ferns Inquiry, Marian Shanley, confirmed that the report is due to be delivered to Ms Harney by December 1. She would not confirm who has given testimony to the inquiry. However, she did say: "No-one has refused to cooperate." This certainly means that, among others, Bishop Comiskey himself has testified as well as Msgr Micheal Ledwith. Msgr Ledwith lectured at St Peter's in the early 1970s before taking up a post at St Patrick's College, Maynooth where he later become president. He left the college prematurely in June 1994 having paid money to, and entered a confidentiality agreement with, a seminarian who said he had been sexually abused by the priest when still a minor. Ms Shanley also confirmed that St Peter's was one focus of the investigation, and that most of the allegations dealt with by the inquiry date from the 1970s and 1980s. She said the report is still "being drafted and re-drafted". As well as Bishop Comiskey and Msgr Ledwith, the document will also deal with the former president of St Peter's, Fr Donal Collins. Fr Collins was sentenced to four years by a court in 1999 for indecent assault and gross indecency on four boys. The episodes occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. The report will also deal with the response of State agencies to allegations of sex abuse in the diocese. The inquiry under Mr Justice Murphy began in September of last year following a preliminary inquiry led by SC Mr George Bermingham. Dozens of alleged victims of abuse have testified. Sarah Murphy and David Quinn ?