Priest's affair with male prostitute
Julie Gilbert 1573 - 1573 • Published 6 Aug 2008 09:30
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Parishioners’ shock at ‘respected’ clergyman
PARISHIONERS have spoken of their disgust after learning that their parish priest enjoyed gay sex romps with rent boys.
The revelations came to light after police were tipped off that one of the rent boys was blackmailing the priest - Father Tony Sweeney.
Sweeney - who has now resigned from the priesthood - was parish priest at St Benedict"s Church in Drumchapel from October 1998 to October 2005.
He paid John Gallagher, 30, twice for his services after encountering him at a meeting point for gay men.
In early 2005, however, Gallagher began blackmailing Sweeney, 61, and extorted £3,000 from him before the affair was exposed in September 2007.
Gallagher admitted menacing the priest, threatening to expose him as gay and demanding money from him in court on July 25. One angry parishioner told the Post: 'You hear of scandal rocking the Catholic Church all the time - but never would you think of it happening in your own parish.
'People trust their priest - they confide in him during confession, but maybe it should have been the other way around.
'When Father Sweeney was at St Benedict"s, he was highly respected.
'But this is an insult to the Catholic Church and the congregation of St Benedict"s.
'He should apologise.'
Another parishioner voiced her disgust at the news.
She said: 'It is very saddening that someone so trusted could do such a thing.
'For seven years, the people of Drumchapel trusted this man - in good times and bad times. The church is a place of solitude and refuge for so many people, and I just hope that it continues that way.'
When Sweeney"s secret was unearthed, he was serving at St Augustine"s Church in Milton, Glasgow. A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Glasgow said: 'This case came as a shock to the Archdiocese.
'Until the police involvement we did not know that the priest had been behaving in this way and he would not have been allowed to continue in the ministry had we known.
'We apologise to all who will be shocked and hurt by these revelations.
'Following the case Father Sweeney was asked to resign and he did so immediately.
'We have subsequently investigated the finances of his former parish, St Augustine"s in Milton, and are satisfied that the money he used came from his own resources.'
This article appeared in Clydebank Post 06 Aug 08
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