Bishop ignored advice about friendship with paedophile - report

Bishop Robert Byrne resigned in December saying the role had become "too great a burden"

A bishop ignored warnings about his "inappropriate relationship" with a paedophile friar, a report has found.

Bishop Robert Byrne was said to have made a "succession of errors of judgment" before he quit as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle in December.

The Dicastery for Bishops inquiry found four areas of concern, including buying a house in a leafy Newcastle suburb.

Lawyers for survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church have dismissed the findings as "completely inadequate".

Father Byrne stood down as bishop after three years in the role, saying it had become "too great a burden".

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon carried out an investigation of events leading up to the resignation, and an executive summary has been published on the Newcastle Diocese website.

He identified four issues which had an impact on the bishop's role:

• His continued association with a paedophile, despite advice to the contrary

• The promotion of Canon Michael McCoy, who had been subjected to a "safeguarding plan" when working with teenagers

• Allegations of "lewd" parties being held at the cathedral during lockdown

• The purchase of a house in an upmarket suburb of Newcastle

A report was made to Northumbria Police following claims Covid restrictions had been broken at St Mary's Cathedral

"There has been much commentary in mainstream and social media on events in the diocese, which have been addressed during the report," the summary stated.

There was an "error of judgment" in fraternising with Timothy Gardner, a paedophile the bishop had known for many years, the report found.

"They were seen associating together in public in Newcastle and it was known that Gardner was a frequent visitor at Bishop's House," it said.

"Despite being advised by senior priests in the diocese that this was an inappropriate relationship, Bishop Byrne insisted that it was a pastoral relationship and therefore appropriate and refused their advice.

"Bishop Byrne failed to understand the risks he was taking both for himself and the diocese."

'Safeguarding concerns'

Regarding Canon McCoy's "sad death by suicide", he had twice been the subject of "safeguarding plans" in relation to "working with older teenagers", the report said.

He killed himself in April 2021 after police began investigating an allegation of historical sexual abuse made against him.

The report said the bishop had been informed by "more than one source" of safeguarding concerns about Canon McCoy before he appointed him to work at the cathedral.

"It was an error of judgment to then promote a priest with a safeguarding record to a high-profile position," the report said.

"Instead, Bishop Byrne could have paid greater heed to ensuring that Michael McCoy was appropriately managed given the safeguarding concerns."

Canon Michael McCoy was being investigated by police after a historical child sex abuse allegation

In relation to events during lockdown, the archbishop found "allegations that lewd parties took place at St Mary's Cathedral during the pandemic are simply untrue".

Police were informed after volunteers who had sanitised the cathedral were invited into the cathedral house for "refreshments" which was in breach of lockdown, he said.

"On occasion, after long days, the volunteers were offered a take-away meal and a glass of wine.

"At the time, Covid regulations were in force and a report was made to Northumbria Police, but no action was taken."

Bishop Byrne was not present at any of these gatherings, the report said.

The house in Gosforth, Newcastle, where Bishop Byrne moved to

The sale of the Bishop's House in West Denton and the purchase of a new home in "middle-class" Gosforth was controversial and some priests and worshippers had considered it a mistake, the report said.

It said that Bishop Byrne could have relocated to a property that served his and diocesan needs "in a less conspicuous area at a lower cost".

"This would have been a sign of his willingness to come closer to his people," it said.

Archbishop McMahon concluded: "I emphasise that it was a succession of errors of judgment by Bishop Byrne that exacerbated the key issues.

"He was unable to see a path forward, and his failure to see his part in these situations made clear his inability to cope with the demands of his role."

The findings were criticised by Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater Gordon, who said the report "puts these appalling failings down to 'errors of judgment' and says nothing about the culture and structure of the Catholic Church which allows a bishop to behave in this way in the first place".

He added: "The weasel words in this report prove the need for external oversight of church safeguarding; the Catholic Church clearly cannot police itself."

A separate safeguarding review by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency is near completion and will be published in full in the next few weeks.

Bishop Byrne's resignation was accepted by Pope Francis on 12 December.

The BBC has previously attempted to contact the bishop, who has not responded to requests for an interview.

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle declined to comment.