TORONTO (RNS) A Canadian Roman Catholic bishop has been charged with possessing and importing child pornography, just weeks after his Nova Scotia diocese reached a $15 million settlement with victims of sexual abuse.
The Most Rev. Raymond Lahey, 69, stepped down as bishop of the Nova Scotia diocese of Antigonish on Sept. 26, four days before the charges were made public. In a letter to his diocese, he said he had submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI “for personal reasons” and had already left the diocese “to take some much-needed time for personal renewal.”
Ottawa police said Lahey was detained at the Ottawa airport on Sept. 15 as he tried to re-enter Canada. Border Services agents searched his laptop computer and found images “that were of concern,” said police. They seized his laptop and other media devices, which were found to contain child pornography.
Archbishop Anthony Mancini of Halifax was expected to travel to the Antigonish diocese on Thursday (Oct. 1) to speak to Lahey’s parishioners.
“It’s devastating for me, it’s devastating for him, and it’s devastating for the whole church, whether it’s in Antigonish or Halifax or the rest of Canada,” said Mancini. The archbishop added that he spoke with Lahey by phone on Sept. 30, but did not know where he was.
Ottawa police have issued a warrant for Lahey’s arrest and said they have been in contact with him.
As bishop, Lahey oversaw a historic $15 million settlement with people who claimed they had been sexually abused as children by priests in the diocese, dating back to 1950. Lahey was not personally implicated in the allegations.
At a news conference after the settlement was announced, Lahey apologized to victims and their families for the abuse that was inflicted on “those who were entitled instead to the trust and protection of priests of the church.”
He added, “Sexual abuse, indeed any abuse, is wrong. It is a crime and it is a serious sin in the eyes of God. I want to assure you that for some time our diocese, like others throughout Canada, (has) been taking steps to protect children and youth.”
