The Catholic Church authorities in Ireland have continued to refuse any response to questions concerning the premature departure of Mgr Micheál Ledwith from his post as president of the national seminary at St Patrick's College Maynooth in 1994.
This is despite repeated requests over recent weeks.
Mgr Ledwith was also head of the college's NUI section at the time. He had held both posts for almost 10 years.
As president of St Patrick's College Mgr Ledwith was appointed by its board of trustees, which comprises Ireland's senior bishops. Before such an appointment can be made it must first be confirmed by the Vatican.
In what was described in newspaper reports at the time as "a surprise development", Mgr Ledwith announced his retirement from both positions in April 1994, with effect from June of that year, six months before his term of office was due to end.
Mgr Ledwith said he was doing so to avoid disruption in the middle of an academic year. He planned to take leave of absence to pursue research and writing interests.
It was later reported that he had gone on a fundraising trip for the college to the United States.
Mgr Ledwith's departure from the college presidency has always been surrounded by mystery.
One senior church source said it was not possible to discuss the matter "for legal reasons".
This is understood to involve a confidentiality clause in a legal agreement involving a third party.
It is believed the confidentiality clause was included at the behest of the college board of trustees.
In 1994 that board included Cardinal Cahal Daly, the then Catholic Primate and Archbishop of Armagh; Cardinal Desmond Connell; the Archbishop of Cashel, Dr Dermot Clifford; and the then Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Joseph Cassidy.
Other senior bishops on the board in 1994 included the Bishop of Achonry, Dr Thomas Flynn; the Bishop of Clogher, Dr Joseph Duffy; the Bishop of Ossory, Dr Laurence Forristal;
The Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey; the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, Dr Colm O'Reilly; the Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick
Walsh; the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Jeremiah Newman; the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith; the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr Laurence Ryan; and the Bishop of Cloyne, Dr John Magee.
Early last month queries from The Irish Times as to the circumstances of Mgr Ledwith's departure from Maynooth, and as to his whereabouts today, were referred by a spokesman for Cardinal Connell to the press office of the Irish Bishops' Conference, as "it has nothing to do with us" (despite Cardinal Connell's position on the college's board of trustees).
When the query was taken to the Irish Bishops' Conference press office in Maynooth, it was referred from there to the president's office at St Patrick's College, as it did "not represent St Patrick's College or the trustees".
Finally, on April 22nd, contact was made by phone with Mgr Dermot Farrell, president at St Patrick's College.
The queries were put to him verbally, and he requested that they be e-mailed to his office. There was no response and following further contact with his office they were e-mailed again to a different address, as requested by his secretary, on April 29th.
Since then there has been no response from Mgr Farrell or his office.
In a further phone call on the matter to the bishops' spokesman last Sunday, he said he would convey the queries to the relevant party.
A subsequent phone message last night indicated this had been done. But there was still no response from the president's office at St Patrick's College.
