Monsignor Mícheál Ledwith was one of the high-flyers in Irish Catholicism up to the time of his departure from office as president of the national seminary at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, in 1994.
He became Professor of Dogmatic Theology there in 1976 and head of that department the following year. In 1980, he was appointed college vice-president, and then appointed its 25th president in 1985, at the age of 42.
His talents were also recognised in Rome, where he was assistant secretary at the 1991 Synod of Bishops. The synod secretary was Cardinal Walter Kaspar, now head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Still listed in the Irish Catholic Director 2002 as a priest of Ferns Diocese, Mgr Ledwith was born in 1942 at Taghmon, Co Wexford. He attended St Peter's College in Wexford town before going to St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he excelled academically.
He also studied in Paris, Salzburg and at Bad Reichenhall in Bavaria. He later taught at St Peter's in Wexford before becoming a lecturer at Maynooth in 1971.
Currently, Mgr Ledwith is believed to reside in Washington state on the US west coast. He has become a guest lecturer with a New Age movement, the Ramtha School of Enlightenment. Founded in 1988, this is based at Yelm in Washington state.
He also broadcasts talks for the school on a radio station, and on the Internet, based at Monterey in California. On an associated web page, Where The Eagle Meets The Condor, the name of a radio programme, he is described as "Dr Miceal Ledwith".
The material describes him as "one of the most fascinating speakers in the world today" and includes a short biography of his career in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
It says: "Dr Miceal Ledwith was Professor of Systematic Theology for 16 years at Maynooth College in Ireland and subsequently served for 10 years as president of the university. He was a member of the International Theological Commission, a small group of theologians of international standing, charged with advising the Holy See on theological matters. He also served as chairman of the Committee of Heads of the Irish Universities and as a member of the governing bureau of the Conference of European University Presidents."
It continues that in his lectures he clearly shows us how shackled we are by religions "having gotten so far 'off the mark'." It refers to his new book, The Message Whose Time Has Come Again - Thomas, The Twin Brother Of Jesus, and says that he is working on another, which is to be titled Ascent to God: The Soul's Journey Within.
• In February 1994, four months before be left Maynooth, Mgr Ledwith's casting vote as president blocked a proposal by the students' union there to set up a Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Society. The proposal had the support of 350 signatures and of the National Conference of Priests.
