Bishop who quit over affair claims says he wants to remain a priest

Kieran Conry admits he had a sexual relationship and says he never regretted being a priest

The Guardian, Matthew Taylor, Sunday 5 October 2014

Kieran Conry. Photograph: PA

A Roman Catholic bishop who resigned after claims of a love affair with a parishioner has admitted having had a sexual relationship but said he wanted to remain a priest.

Kieran Conry resigned as bishop of Arundel and Brighton last week after the estranged husband of one of the women with whom he was said to have had a relationship threatened to sue the church. The man had hired a private detective to follow his wife.

In an interview in the Sunday Times, Conry, 63, admitted to one previous sexual relationship. “I did wrong,” he said. “Celibacy may be a tradition rather than an article of faith but the vast majority of priests are faithful to their promise.”

Despite press reports of other affairs, Conry said he would do any job that came his way if he was allowed to remain in the church. “I’ve never regretted being a priest. I’ve never felt unhappy, I’ve enjoyed it and tried to do whatever was asked of me. I’ve always gone where I’ve been sent and I hope to do the same again,” he said.

Conry said his relationship with the woman whose husband threatened to sue was no more than a close friendship. The woman allegedly stayed at his house at least three times and they went shopping and visited the British Museum in London and a Henri Matisse exhibition together.

He admitted that a relationship six years ago had been sexual but would not say how long it had lasted. He said he decided to resign because “it was the easiest way to avoid further embarrassment, disappointment … and shame for the church”.

Conry said celibacy was not about sex but marriage. “When a priest makes a promise of celibacy, he promises to remain unmarried, that’s all. Then the ordinary rules of morality apply,” he said.

“But I’d like to make it clear I’m not calling for a change. I did wrong. Celibacy may be a tradition rather than an article of faith but the vast majority of priests are faithful to their promise, faithful to what the church expects of them. And I have great respect and admiration for that.”

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… I gave you a channelling years ago when Pope John Paul was alive. John Paul loved Mary, the mother. Had John Paul survived another 10 years, he would have done what the next Pope [The one after the current one, Benedict XVI] will do, and that is to bring women into the Church. This Pope you have now [Benedict XVI] won't be here long.* The next Pope will be the one who has to change the rules, should he survive. If he doesn't, it will be the one after that.

There it a large struggle within the Church, even right now, and great dissention, for it knows that it is not giving what humanity wants. The doctrine is not current to the puzzles of life. The answer will be to create a better balance between the feminine and masculine, and the new Pope, or the one after that, will try to allow women to be in the higher echelon of the Church structure to assist the priests.

It will be suggested to let women participate in services, doing things women did not do before. This graduates them within church law to an equality with priests, but doesn't actually let them become priests just yet. However, don't be surprised if this begins in another way, and instead gives priests the ability to marry. This will bring the feminine into the church in other ways. It will eventually happen and has to happen. If it does not, it will be the end of the Catholic Church, for humanity will not sustain a spiritual belief system that is out of balance with the love of God and also out of balance with intuitive Human awareness.  …”