Bishop Hugh Gilbert said: “In reaching a decision about a translation for the Lectionary, the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland itself considered the values they would most expect a Lectionary to embody, for example, accuracy, dignity, facility of proclamation, and accessibility.”

The treatment of the Redemptorist "is scandalous to most Catholics in Ireland" and "destroys people’s faith and confidence", according to Fr Roy Donovan of the Association of Catholic Priests.

Cavan parish priest offered "moral leadership in a difficult time” through his homily following the kidnapping and assault on Kevin Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings.

Congregation numbers are declining and the value of donations are falling as a result.