THE CATHOLIC HERALD OCTOBER 14 2011

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Falsely accused priest returns to standing ovation at parish

BY ED WEST

A GALWAY priest who was wrongly accused on national television of fathering a child through rape has returned to his parish after five “awful” months under investigation.

his ministry as parish priest in the village of Ahascragh, Co Galway, pending an investigation.

Lawyers for the priest began high court defamation proceedings and paternity tests proved that Fr Reynolds was not the father of the child in question.

Fr Kevin Reynolds was accused on RTÉ’s Prime Time Investigates programme in May of committing the crime while serving as a missionary in Kenya nearly 30 years ago.

Fr Reynolds, a parish priest of the Diocese of Elphin, denied the allegations but stepped aside from

RTÉ apologised this week and accepted that all of the allegations which it broadcast against the priest were without any foundation.

Fr Kevin Reynolds returned to St Cuan’s church for Mass on Sunday, where he was greeted by bunting, ‘welcome home’ banners and several hundred handshakes in the

Campaign groups hail plan to block pornography village church. He received three standing ovations from a congregation of about 600 people. Among them were Bishop Christopher Jones of Elphin, Mill Hill Missionaries general superior Fr Anthony Chantry and regional representative Fr Michael Corcoran. Fr Chantry had travelled from Maidenhead county.

Dr Jones and Fr Chantry praised Fr Reynolds’s courage and dignity over the past five months, during which he was suspended and unable to practise his ministry, while parish council chairwoman Máire Hughes said parishioners were delighted at his return. Dr Jones told the congregation: “RTÉ has now accepted that all of the allegations which it broadcast against Fr Kevin are baseless and without any foundation whatever and that Fr Kevin is entirely innocent.”

Dr Jones said that everyone was shocked at the time, not only by the allegations that were made against Fr Kevin but also by the manner in which they were made.

Fr Kevin had “carried his cross with great dignity”, Dr Jones said.

“He willingly stepped aside from ministry and never expressed anger or impatience of any kind... I

believe that his own deep faith and spirituality have been his greatest source of courage and consolation through this most dreadful experience of his life.”

Dr Jones added that false allegations such as this were a disservice to the “validated experiences of so many” of child sexual abuse.

“I reiterate the commitment of our diocese to the safeguarding of children,” he said, and the diocese of Elphin was “committed in its focus and responsibility to protect and value children wherever they are in our Church”.

Fr Chantry said he welcomed

RTÉ’s apology issued late last week and said that his public reinstatement was the “beginning of a long journey of healing and reconciliation”.

The false claims had been a “source of profound distress to Fr Kevin, his family, friends, parishioners and fellow Mill Hill Missionaries”, he added.

Fr Reynolds said last week that although he was a “little battleweary and wounded and the scars will remain”, the apology had “freed” him from “lies, false allegations and baseless accusations”.

He paid tribute to the Irish Association of Catholic Priests for helping him to establish his innocence through two paternity tests.

Fr Reynolds told the Herald: “I returned to my parish on Sunday, and I was out of my ministry for five months. It was an awful experience, quite honestly. Bit by bit we made breakthroughs. I never even knew those people [who made the accusation].

“I do not return with anger, resentment or bitterness or any ill will. A terrible cross was laid at my shoulders, which I managed to survive. I thank God and my parishioners and my family.”

Londoner meets Pope after walking 1,350 miles to Rome for charity

BY ED WEST

FAMILY campaigners have welcomed David Cameron’s plans to encourage internet service providers to block pornography.

As part of new measures to protect children from sexual content, new subscribers to four of Britain’s biggest providers will have to “opt in” if they want to view sexually explicit websites.

The measures were announced during a Downing Street meeting with the Mothers’ Union, which recently suggested a series of proposals to protect children from over-sexualisation.

Among the other proposals are a ban on sexually aggressive advertising campaigns and certain types of explicit images on billboards, and a ban on even more “moderate” adverts if they are within walking distance of a school.

The Government will also launch a website, Parentport, which parents can use to complain about television programmes, advertisements, products or services which they believe are overly sexual.

Under the internet plans new customers of BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin who do not opt in to adult material will be unable to access pornographic websites.

Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, said: “Any measure aimed at limiting children’s exposure to sexualised images in the course of their daily lives is to be welcomed. Children and adults alike ought to be free to use the internet without having to worry about inadvertently stumbling across pornography, and we should all be able to walk down the road without having sexually explicit advertisements paraded before our eyes on billboards. It is to be hoped that the Prime Minister will be equally firm when it comes to protecting children from the highly sexualised materials that they are increasingly being exposed to from their earliest years in the name of sex education.”

Mr Cameron signalled his support for the Mothers’ Union proposals in the summer after he commissioned a six-month review by the charity’s chief executive, Reg Bailey.

Among the other proposals are age restrictions on music videos . He called for Government and business to end the sale of “sexy” clothing.

In a letter sent to Mr Bailey in June the Prime Minister said: “I very much agree with the central approach you set out. As you say, we should not try and wrap children up in cotton wool or simply throw our hands up and accept the world as it is. Instead, we should look to put ‘the brakes on an unthinking drift towards evergreater commercialisation and sexualisation’.”

Church leaders have expressed concern about the speed of internet pornography. Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, in what is described as the first pastoral letter on the subject, said pornography was a “plague [that] stalks the souls of men, women and children, ravages the bonds of marriage and victimises the most innocent among us”.

He said: “It obscures and destroys people’s ability to see one another as unique and beaut iful expressions of God’s creation... causing them to view others as objects to be used.” ........................................................ Feature: Page 9

Andrew Bruce met Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square after walking from London to Rome

BY NICK PISA

A LONDON butler is nursing very sore and blistered feet after walking 1,350 miles from London to Rome to raise money for Help for Heroes.

Andrew Bruce, 50, took three months to walk along the ancient pilgrims way winds its way to Rome through France, Switzerland and Italy and at the end of his marathon effort he even had a meeting with an impressed Pope Benedict XVI.

Traditionally the route starts in Canterbury but Mr Bruce added a few extra miles by beginning his epic slog at St Paul’s in London before ending up in St Peter’s on his birthday. During the walk he was knocked down by a car in Italy and also had to return to Britain in August after his father died, meaning he took two weeks off before resuming from where he had left off in the Alps.

The aim of the walk was to raise money for injured servicemen’s charity Help for Heroes, whose backers include Prince William and Prince Harry.

Along the way he spent the night at monasteries and abbeys – as did ancient pilgrims who would follow the route centuries ago – getting his “pilgrim passport” stamped which earned him a certificate from the Vatican.

This week, as he nursed his sore feet and a well-earned glass of beer in St Peter’s Square, he said: “It was bloody hard work but well worth it. I’ve got through three pairs of socks but still have the same pair of boots on.

“It’s been three very long and tiring months with lots of highs and lows, a few days after I crossed into Italy from France I lost my father and had to go back for his funeral and was away for about two weeks but when I returned I got straight back into it.

“The most dangerous part was walking through Italy, the drivers are crazy, they are jabbering on the mobile phone, driving bumper to bumper, arguing with their partners all at the same time as trying to drive. I got hit in Lucca [Tuscany] by a man who pulled out in front of me and I went over the bonnet. I had a word with him through his window and he just crossed himself three times and sped off.’’

On his arrival in Rome he had an audience with Pope Benedict during which he handed over a letter from the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres.

Mr Bruce said: “We exchanged a few words on a platform just outside St Peter’s and that was a wonderful, splendid and very surreal moment for me.

“It lasted about a minute and was over before it started, I was jabbering away and telling him all

Photo: L’Osservatore Romano about my walk and he just kept nodding and saying: ‘Splendid, splendid.’ I suppose it makes a change from asking: ‘Have you come far?’

“The walk was an amazing experience and I met so many wonderful people along the way. I stayed in monasteries and abbeys but also people put me up out of the kindness of their hearts which was very nice.

“I was worried that with the economic climate I wouldn’t get many donations but Brits have a generous heart.” Mr Bruce has raised £85,000 so far but hopes to top the £100,000 mark. Donations can be made online at Bmy charity.com/andrewbruce2000.

Brother of Jimmy Mizen makes Olympic peace plea

BY MADELEINE TEAHAN AND MATTHEW WALL

ALMOST 500 Catholic schools have joined the “100 Days of Peace” initiative in memory of a Catholic teenager who was murdered in south London to coincide with next year’s Olympic Games.

George Mizen, aged 12, is commemorating the death of his older brother Jimmy, along with Catholic schools across London, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire.

A Mass was concelebrated by Archbishop Vincent Nichols at Westminster Cathedral last Friday to inaugurate “100 Days of Peace”. It was attended by 1,400 students.

During his homily Archbishop Nichols said: “Let the Olympic Games be for everybody a lesson in peace. Instead of violence on the streets, which happens all too often, this might be a time in which together we build peace.”

Jimmy Mizen’s parents, Barry and Margaret from Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Lee, attended the Mass along with their son.

Speaking to the Tablet Mr Mizen said: “We remain determined that some good will come from our son’s death.”

Remembering his brother

George Mizen presents a gift to Archbishop Nichols at the Mass to launch 100 Days of Peace Adrian White

Jimmy, George said that he believed it was important “for people to try and become friends with each other, and I hope the 100 Days of Peace will do that.

“I also hope that the 2012 Olympics will be remembered for peace as well as sport,” he said.

In a statement announcing 100 Days of Peace Archbishop Nichols described his immense pride in “the character and leadership of so many young people in our schools as they work for peace and safety on our streets.

“This is a story that deserves to be widely known as it will give hope and encouragement to many.” Jimmy Mizen was murdered in May 2008 in Lee, south east London, on the day after his 16th birthday.

Jimmy had gone out with his older brother to celebrate and buy a lottery ticket when they stopped at Three Cook’s Bakery for something to eat. Jimmy bled to death in his brother’s arms following a confrontation with a young man who threw a glass dish at Jimmy’s neck.

Jake Fahri, aged 19, from Lee, was convicted in March 2009 of Jimmy’s murder. He was sentenced to life in prison and told he would serve at least 14 years.

St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College 10 Malwood Road | LONDON | SW12 8EN

Tel 020 8772 6072 | Fax 020 8772 6099 | enquiries@sfx.ac.uk | www.sfx.ac.uk

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A highly successful sixth form college, we welcome applications from students who wish to continue their education in a Christian environment. We offer prospective students:

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A highly successful sixth form college, we welcome applications from students who wish to continue their education in a Christian environment. We offer prospective students:

A wide range of AS/A Levels, BTEC Extended Diplomas and the International Baccalaureate An outstanding record of student progression to top universities Consistently good examination results (99% pass rate at A Level in June 2011) Teaching by subject specialists at sixth form level Resources and support systems focused on the needs of students at sixth form level

A wide range of AS/A Levels, BTEC Extended Diplomas and the International Baccalaureate An outstanding record of student progression to top universities Consistently good examination results (99% pass rate at A Level in June 2011) Teaching by subject specialists at sixth form level Resources and support systems focused on the needs of students at sixth form level

A highly successful sixth form college, we welcome applica ons from students who wish to con nue their educa on in a Chris an environment. We offer prospec ve students: • A wide range of AS/A Levels, BTEC Extended Diplomas and the Interna onal Baccalaureate • An outstanding record of student progression to top universi es • Consistently good examina on results (99% pass rate at A Level in June 2011) • Teaching by subject specialists at sixth form level • Resources and support systems focused on the needs of students at sixth form level

Open Day Saturday 12th November 2011

Consistently good examination results (99% pass rate at A Level in June 2011) Teaching by subject specialists at sixth form level Resources and support systems focused on the needs of students at sixth form level

Open Day Saturday 12th November 2011

10.00am—2.30pm Buses: G1, 50, 155, 249, 355 Underground: Clapham South (Northern Line)

Open Day Saturday 12th November 2011

National Rail: Balham Students must be accompanied by a parent.

No parking available on site.

10.00am—2.30pm Buses: G1, 50, 155, 249, 355 Underground: Clapham South (Northern Line)

National Rail: Balham Students must be accompanied by a parent.

Educating through a Christian community

No parking available on site.

Educating through a Christian community Educating through a Christian community