A former cleric has hit out at the Catholic church for ‘interfering’
in his life more than 10 years after he left the priesthood.Sean Page married his partner, Clarice Young, at St John’s CE Church in Heywood last year – more than a decade after quitting his life as a priest in Ireland.
The wedding took place in front of Clarice’s five children in a ceremony led by Rev Matthew Carlisle and the couple are now happily married and living on Grasmere Avenue in Hopwood.
But Sean, 54, says he is ‘hurt’ by the way he was treated by the Catholic church in the run-up to the wedding.
The community radio DJ was sent a document from the Vatican instructing how to conduct himself after marrying Clarice.
The letter told him he should ‘absent himself’ from areas where he worked and was known as a priest and ensure the wedding celebrations were ‘low key’.
The letter also asked Sean to go through the laicisation process – which would officially end his role as a Catholic priest.
Sean’s written reply stated: “It is my belief that the referred to conditions of Canon Law treat the laicised priest as a ‘second class citizen’ of the church. It also implies that the wife of the laicised priest is marrying ‘damaged goods’ who should seldom be seen and definitely not heard.”
He added: “Based on the contents of the document I received, I believe it is extremely difficult for a former priest to live a fulfilled and active Christian lay life.”
Sean did not sign the documents enclosed with the laicisation letter, but he understands he has been laicised as the process takes place as soon as the paperwork is sent out.
Sean is originally from Castlerea, Co Roscommon and was a priest at St Anne’s parish in Sligo in north west Ireland.
He originally left the priesthood to move in with a mother-of-seven but that relationship failed and he then moved to the UK.