Gardai were called to St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, last week to remove several people from a special meeting of the Church of Ireland's Diocesan Synod. Last Thursday's meeting was called to vote on the sale of the Bishop's Palace in the city. One of those asked to leave, Mr Frank Jenkinson, from Bagenalstown, has accused the Church of Ireland authorities of "being undemocratic and out of touch with the feelings of lay members". He is one of a growing number opposed to the sale of the three-storey property adjacent to the cathedral. Bishop John Neill had ruled that the Concerned Parishioners' Group should leave the cathedral as it was not open to the public. After they refused, gardai were alerted but the group had left by the time gardai arrived.
And a member of the Diocesan Synod who attended the meeting has claimed that the Bishops interpretation of the rules governing the sale of the Palace are well placed but incorrect.
Bishop Neill said the matter was now out of the hands of the diocese, since the Diocesan Council voted in favour of the sale. It was now a matter for the Representative Church Body in Dublin.
As far as he was concerned the matter was finished and he claimed this was the view of the church lawyers.