Embezzling priest asks Pope to allow him to quit the clergy
Catholic clergyman who stole £100,000 wants to leave church
A CATHOLIC priest jailed for embezzling almost £100,000 of church funds has asked the Pope to allow him to quit the clergy.
Father Graeme Bell was convicted of stealing from his Ayrshire parish between March and May 2015 after admitting to an online gambling problem.
Father Bell, 41, had been parish priest at Our Lady Star of the Sea church, known locally as St Mary’s, in Saltcoats.
However, in the past week the local bishop, William Nolan, has visited Father Bell’s former congregation and told them the priest has asked to quit the priesthood, a process known as laicisation.
The move requires the consent of Pope Francis and could take over a year to conclude. When completed it would remove the duty of care the Church would have for Father Bell, as well as any investigation into his behaviour under church, or canon, law.
It is understood he will get day release in the near future and is unlikely to serve the full 10 months, during which time he will still be supported by his diocese.
A specialist in canon law, Father Bell was part of the Catholic Church’s national body which deals with disputes between priests and their bishops, meaning the Vatican would have had to appoint a canon lawyer from England or Ireland to carry out the investigation.
One source said: “Bishop Nolan promised to come to Saltcoats and he did, telling the parish what was happening with Father and that he had asked to be laicised.
“I think had there been an investigation he would have had to leave but this would suggest he’s decided he doesn’t want to live in grace and favour. It also saves Bill Nolan a lot of hassle with canon lawyers and a case which could have strung along for years. Graeme Bell has probably realised he has cost the church enough.”
When he first revealed his misuse of parish funds he was immediately removed from his post and the police informed.
The probe had initially centred on funds set up for pilgrimages to Lourdes and missionary work in Guyana but was quickly widened to look at all parish finances.
Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard last month how Father Bell suffered anxiety and depression which “reached a stage where he was not behaving as a law-abiding individual”.
The missing cash has since been returned, with friends and family of the jailed priest raising £43,000, while Father Bell has sought counselling and attended Gamblers’ Anonymous.
He had been told in court that but for background reports and his guilty plea he would have faced a sentence of between two and four years.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Galloway said: “Father Graeme Bell has petitioned Pope Francis to have the obligations of the priestly life lifted so that he can live as a layman. It may take a year to 18 months for this request to be granted.”
Father Bell had been due to effectively leave the church for unrelated reasons, understood to be connected to his family, days before his arrest after being given leave of absence by his bishop.