Dissident Catholic priest Father Pat Buckley said last night he was "totally bowled over" by the Christian compassion of the Unitarian Church in St Stephen's Green, after it agreed to allow him to conduct a funeral service for his nephew, who committed suicide.
Father Buckley had been barred from conducting the service in any church in Dublin, by the Archbishop, Dr Desmond Connell.
He was overwhelmed last night after a decision was taken by the committee of the Unitarian Church to offer their building.
"I think it is very sad that I was not able to find compassion and charity within the church to which I have belonged for 45 years and that I should now find it in a church with whom I have had little or no contact with," said Father Buckley.
He continued: "It is almost gospel in that the prophet was never accepted in his own country, but people outside of his tradition reached out their hands."
Dr Connell, yesterday defended his decision to refuse permission for Father Buckley to celebrate the funeral liturgy in the family's local Catholic church in Blakestown, west Dublin.
The Larne, Co Antrim-based priest's nephew, Mr Christopher Geoghegan (23), was found shot dead early on Tuesday in his flat on the Navan Road in Dublin. A sawn-off shotgun was by his side.
His mother, Ms Margaret Geoghegan, from Whitestown Drive, Mulhuddart, said she thought Dr Connell would have allowed Father Buckley to carry out the service. Father Buckley, who was removed from his parochial functions in Larne by the then Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Cahal Daly, in 1986, had requested permission to conduct the service.
In a statement, Dr Connell said it was with great regret that he had refused Father Buckley permission to celebrate the funeral Mass.
"Father Buckley's work in Larne, and in particular the marriage ceremonies he celebrates, mean his rights to minister to the Catholic faithful have had to be restricted. I considered whether this restriction could be lifted, but in the end I decided that, owing to the gravely unlawful nature of the type of work being done by Father Buckley and its direct conflict with Catholic teaching, even in this circumstance I couldn't allow Father Buckley the use of the facilities of the archdiocese."
