THE disgraced former Catholic bishop, Father Roderick Wright, has told relatives that his life was "a big mess" which had "spiralled out of control". He warned them to expect further revelations.
The former Scottish bishop resigned last week after telling senior Scottish prelates about his desire to marry a divorced mother of three children. It was later revealed that he had a 15 year old son by another woman.
In a phone call to his brother he said he was "outside the UK" in the hands of the News of the World to whom he told his story last Sunday. He phoned after learning of his younger sister's stress related illness.
He apologised to his family for the hurt he had caused them since disappearing over two weeks ago, said a report in yesterday's Scotsman.
Meanwhile the Scottish Catholic Media Office would not comment on a detailed newspaper interview with the ex-bishop's former housekeeper in which she said she had read four letters from different women to Bishop Wright. These had made her think he was conducting several affairs.
She had voiced her concern to the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Dr Keith O'Brien over three years ago.
He, together with Cardinal Winning of Glasgow, had interviewed Bishop Wright, who had categorically denied the allegations.
Last Friday, Archbishop O'Brien said he feared more scandals. "In all honesty, when one opens a can of worms, one just doesn't realise what's at the bottom of it."