Pope Francis defrocks Irish Catholic priest convicted of abuse
James Donaghy, who is originally from Lady Wallace Drive in Lisburn
and served as priest in the west Belfast parish of Corpus Christi in
Ballymurphy, was convicted of several sex abuse charges following
trials in 2011 and 2013 and is currently serving a 10-year jail
sentence, UTV reports. Although Donaghy stepped down from his duties in March 2004, Pope Francis has now officially banned him from the ministry. At
his 2011 trial. Donaghy was found guilty of 23 sex abuse charges
committed against three teenagers. In 2013, he was convicted of abusing a
fourth victim. the court heard he told his young victim he could get
his grandfather into heaven as he sexually abused the boy, the BBC reports.
