Letter states that priest engaged in 'homosexuality'

A LETTER released by the Vatican last week states that Fr Andrew
Ronan engaged in “homosexuality” with the students in an Irish seminary
and was subsequently transferred to the US.

The late Fr Ronan is
at the centre of a US court case which seeks to hold the Vatican
accountable for the abuse allegedly suffered more than 40 years ago by
John V Doe, the man taking the case who was then in his teens.

The
letter, dated June 21st, 1963, from the provincial of the Servite
Fathers in Chicago, and addressed to the head of the same religious
order in Rome, says Fr Ronan engaged in “homosexuality with the
students”.

It goes on to say that Fr Ronan “freely admitted and
confessed” to this when one of the students brought the matter to the
attention of the prior in the seminary.

“This was found out on my
visit to Benburb after the last General Chapter in June of 1959, and I
removed him to the USA immediately. We lost vocations as a result of
this in Ireland and we are most fortunate that more scandal did not
come.

“I am sure you will agree that to put him back in a seminary
would be contrary to all prescripts of the church and to common sense.

“While
there has been no known recurrence of this problem, all the experts in
this perversion agree that there is no permanent cure. I am expecting
the worst any day here at St Phillips but much better that it occur here
than in a seminary.”

The Vatican, in publishing internal files on
the Vatican Radio website last week, said the documents proved that it
had only learned of the accusations against Fr Ronan in 1966, after the
alleged abuse of a victim, named in US court papers as John V Doe, had
occurred.

However, Jeffrey Anderson, a lawyer for John V Doe, said
the letter, to the head of the religious order as appointed by the Holy
See, demonstrated that the order, the Holy See and the Vatican had
“actual knowledge that Ronan is a predator and a paedophile”.

Another
letter from 1966 requesting Fr Ronan’s laicization states that “if the
Holy Father will grant” it, it would be possible “for him to leave
quietly and without scandal”.

Commenting on this letter Mr Anderson
said: “In other words it’s up to who? The pope.”

Source