A Church of Ireland court which sat yesterday for the first time in more than a century to investigate a case against an allegedly heretical priest was immediately presented with an application on the priest's behalf for an adjournment.
Counsel for the Dean of Clonmacnoise, the Very Rev Andrew Furlong, who has publicly denied the divinity of Jesus, said he found it "almost incomprehensible" that his client should be restricted by the court to calling only two witnesses in his defence when he faced a trial of such seriousness.
Mr Joe Revington said it was his intention to call "how many ever witnesses we feel is appropriate". They would include senior members of the Anglican Church worldwide, and he would need considerable time to prepare for the trial, he said.
"This is a very serious and substantial matter. My client has spent his entire life working in the Church of Ireland," he said, adding that Dean Furlong came before the court with his good name and livelihood in jeopardy. "He has no house or income other than that provided by his office."
Mr Revington said there were issues in the case going beyond theology because the roof over Dean Furlong's head was threatened. He might wish to call an employment law expert, he said.
He urged the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, the Right Rev Richard Clarke, to withdraw his charge against Dean Furlong and allow the Church of Ireland Court of the General Synod deal with the matter as a case stated.
Mr Richard Nesbitt SC, for the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, said the issue of employment did not arise for the court; what was at issue was the church's doctrine. He also submitted that Anglican clergy would have no part to play in the case, that it was essentially a Church of Ireland issue.
The president of the court, Dr Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh, said nobody in the church viewed the case other than extremely seriously. The issue, he said, was the published opinion of Dean Furlong, which was contrary to the teaching of the church.
The seven judges retired for almost 40 minutes to consider the application. Announcing their decision, Archbishop Eames said it was with very great reluctance he was granting an adjournment. He was doing so "bearing in mind not only the seriousness of the issue for the respondent but for the whole Church of Ireland."
However, he said, the judges could not "imagine that it is helpful for the court to have before it witnesses or evidence other than that strictly relevant to the doctrine of the Church of Ireland as referred to in the petition".
He adjourned the case, which had attracted a large crowd to Church of Ireland House, Rathmines, Dublin, to May 10th and gave both sides, which had agreed to voluntary discovery of documents, one week for discovery.
The judges who will decide the case with Archbishop Eames are the Right Rev John Neill, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory; the Right Rev Harold Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore; Mr Justice Buchanan, Ms Justice McGuinness; and Mr Ken Mills and Mr Ronald Robins, two lay members of the Church of Ireland.