Reinstatement of priest sought by picket

ONE YEAR after Bishop Cabal Daly of Down and Connor dismissed him from his Larne, Co Antrim parish, Fr Pat Buckley is still involved in a dispute with the bishop. Last week Fr Buckley's mother decided to take matters in her own hands.
Holding a placard that read "Compassion not condemnation", Mrs Buckley led a group of women from her son's parish in a picket outside the bishop's Belfast residence to protest against his "injustice".
The controversy stems from the bishop's decision, last October, CO release Fr Buckley from Larne parish in order to return to his native Cardiff diocese. Fr Buckley refused to go, and took the bishop to the North's industrial courts in an attempt to prove he was unfairly dismissed.
Despite Bishop Daly's appointment last week of Fr Harry Carlin as parish priest at Larne and his offer of £1,000, Fr Buckley is staying put in his parish residence, and pledges to continue to carry out his priestly duties in the community.
Mrs Buckley said that she had written to Bishop Daly several times to plead for her son's reinstatement, but had received no response from the bishop.
In the letter, Mrs Buckley wrote of her "disillusionment" with the Church and its hierarchy. She condemned the bishop's action as "a grave injustice" to her son.
"May God forgive you your hardness of heart and your total disregard for the feelings of us poor people who are powerless to make you answer for what you have done," the letter concluded.