Falsely-Accused Priest Welcomed Back In Parish After RTE Apology

Parishioners in the County Galway village of Ahascragh gave a standing ovation to Fr Kevin Reynolds on Sunday, as he returned to say mass for the first time since being defamed by an RTE television program.

The broadcaster apologized last week after its Prime Time Investigates show wrongly accused him of fathering a child with an underage girl while working as a missionary in Africa.

"Thank God, I am free. Free from lies and false allegations and baseless accusations," he said at Sunday mass after he was reinstated as parish priest.

Fr Reynolds was forced to stand aside after the program was broadcast last May.

He strongly denied raping and fathering the child with a Kenyan woman featured on the show, and pleaded with the makers of "A Mission to Prey" not to broadcast the allegation.

He offered to take a paternity test, but RTE went ahead with its planned transmission.

He later took a paternity test and the results came back negative last month. Fr Reynolds is now taking a High Court libel action against RTE.

The station read a lengthy apology on its news bulletins, radio and TV programs last week, and published it on its website.

"RTE now fully and unreservedly accepts that the allegations made by Prime Time against Fr. Kevin Reynolds are baseless, without any foundation whatever and untrue..." it said.

"RTE acknowledges the defamation has had a devastating effect on Fr. Kevin Reynolds, his family, his peers, his parishioners in Ahascragh, those in the diocese of Kakamega in Kenya who were aware of the allegations and all those who know him or of him.

"RTE fully and unreservedly apologises to Fr. Kevin Reynolds for this defamation and deeply regrets the serious consequences suffered by him. He was entirely innocent of the allegations broadcast about him."

At Sunday's mass, Bishop Christopher Jones of Elphin, said Fr Reynolds had responded to the attack on his integrity with great courage, strength and resilience during the most dreadful experience in his life.

The court case against RTE is continuing.

Last month the High Court judge scolded the broadcaster, saying that in the current environment, it's hard to consider that anything more serious could be said about a cleric.